Wading in Polluted Streams

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world,” - John 17:11

One of the lesser known credentials in my resume is the fact that I was once a state certified, grade 1, wastewater treatment plant operator. For close to 15 years I tended the small sewage treatment plant at my work among other duties as a chemical laboratory analyst. I became quite familiar with contamination in the biological realm as well as with toxic chemicals in the laboratory. Safe and sanitary practices were crucial in handling any of this material. So it is as Christians that we must learn to deal with the morally toxic materials in the world in which we live.

I wish it were not so, that we could live in a toxic free zone where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. Unfortunately, we must live out our lives here on earth behind enemy lines where the prince of this world attempts to reign supreme with all the filthy and vile essence that he can possibly manufacture. As believers, we have renounced the world, the flesh, and the devil and seek the narrow path leading to salvation. Holiness is our goal. In the first few centuries after Christ, there were serious multitudes of individuals who fled to desert caves and the wilderness in an attempt to live apart from the temptations of the world. Some of these holy hermits became famous for their simple lifestyles and then had to cope with the adulation of the world they had attempted to shun. Others discovered soon enough that wherever the human heart is, there sin still stubbornly dwells and must be put to death daily.

To those who love literature, this is especially challenging today. How do we walk in a way honoring to God and still dwell with both feet on this earth, eyes and ears wide open? One thing should be clear from the outset. We should never expose ourselves to that which is not in the least edifying nor for which no good reason exists for us to do so. Good laboratory workers never go out of their way to risk exposure to deadly situations just for the thrill of it or to show off for their friends. It defies all sense.

Yet I was called to daily interact with serious biological agents and deadly chemicals all as part of my job which had enormous benefits to many, many people. I had a good reason to expose myself to these perils. But in so doing, I had received training in the proper and safe way to deal with them and was provided with the proper equipment to protect myself. Dealing with the less-than-wholesome that the world records in its literature is much the same. Whether it be exposure to the profane or the mind-twisting deviousness of godless philosophies which we must navigate, we need proper training and protections built into our lives in order to emerge unscathed on the other side. Parents and teachers should fulfill this primary role.

Paul took words from the memorials pagans had erected to open doors into their world and preach the gospel. If we are to be in this world and be salt and light, we must likewise be somewhat knowledgeable of the world around us if we are to be effective witnesses. This will periodically take us out of our own comfort zones to build a bridge to unbelievers. But having a good guide is crucial. I would never advocate learning about existentialism by jumping in and reading existentialist literature. Why reinvent the wheel? Others have spent lifetimes studying it and need to be listened to as trusted mentors before sampling these polluted streams for oneself.

Living in this world is risky. Some things are to be avoided at all costs. Other dangers we must learn to live with on a daily basis. Wisdom is to know one from the other and to learn the skills of coping with the latter.