You Can Fall On Either Side of the Horse

You can fall on either side of the horse. Meaning, you can err on two opposite extremes of the Christian faith.

First, there are those who err on the side of too much knowledge. Like the Pharisees, some people become too familiar with theology that their personal relationship with God is relegated to the back seat. Their knowledge took away their sense of wonder of the things of God. They’re no longer surprised with grace and glory.

For some, their learning led them to ask vain questions, questions that lead to doubt and disbelief. Just because you can’t understand the mysteries of God doesn’t mean that He is not real. And unless you accept the fact that some things are not meant to be understood by our finite minds, the pursuit of knowledge of this kind can lead to serious error.

Then there are those who err on the side of ignorance. They are Christians who are so passionate about God but claim that they are not the learning type. Some of them are hyped-up church goers who thrive on big events, high energy worship and busy church calendars. In their hearts, they secretly wish that their being on fire for Jesus would make up for their lack of knowledge.

I don’t know who is in more danger. The apathetic learned man or the passionate but clueless person who is in a constant need of a religious fix? The fireless, joyless, stoic believer or the energetic and loud worshiper? I’m sure we don’t have to make a choice between these opposites because the way I see it, the most effective Christians are those who can manage to merge the two.