LK: Hey, Jen, here's an idea. why not get double duty out of our endless e-discussions? Why not turn them into monthly columns and bore--I mean thrill--everyone else with our scintillating and provocative interactions? We could tackle thorny theological questions, wrestle into submission controversial social issues--basically boldly go where no columnists have ever gone before...better stop me before I get bombastic.

JS: It's too late. But I like your idea, because two brains are better than one. We can work together to bring equilibrium to those hot-button topics that often generate more heat than light. Just think, we can solve the world's problems in the course of a short conversation...

LK: All in keeping with our culture's solve-it-in-a-half-hour-episode mind-set. And if we get really good at it, we could break into the reality TV market, and people could actually watch video footage of us e-mailing each other. On second thought, pinch me, I think I'm having a nightmare. Seriously, Jen, I like your "work together" phrase, especially with regard to understanding complex, paradoxical concepts and concerns--like love, spirituality, relationships, forgiveness, (not to mention the male mind--is that complex, or just paradoxical?). I appreciate author Leroy Moore's observation: "The Spirit of Christ and corporate study of His Word are foundational to unity in the truth...The Holy Spirit's ministry is itself paradoxical. He ministers to all individually but perfects each in relation to the body. He gives each person insights to share with the many but at the same time corrects each individual by and through the many."*

JS: That's good, but kind of lofty. Maybe we should stop and explain what a paradox is. Webster's definition is: "A statement which seems opposed to common sense or contradicts itself, but is perhaps true." Isn't the Word full of seeming contradictions which are, in fact, true? Even Jesus' own words seem contradictory at times. For instance, He warned us that, "The way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:14), but a few pages later He said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30). In one breath, He seems to say that it's extremely difficult to be saved, and only those with true grit stand a chance. A few statements later and He's putting us at ease, saying that it's "easy" and "light." So is it hard to be saved, or easy?

LK: I appreciate C.S. Lewis' response to that question. He says, "You have noticed, I expect, that Christ Himself sometimes describes the Christian way as very hard, sometimes as very easy. He says, 'Take up your Cross'--in other words, it is like going to be beaten to death in a concentration camp. Next minute he says, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.' He means both." He goes on to explain, "The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call 'ourselves,' to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be 'good.'"** I know from experience something of the truth of his observation. There is a sense in which walking the Christian way is the hardest thing we'll ever do, because every fiber of our carnal nature is opposed to being "put to death." But the alternative--trying to be "good" while hanging onto our sinful selves--is miserable and far more difficult. Do you get what I'm saying?

JS: You're saying that salvation can be hard in two ways: One, trying to be saved in our own strength, and two, dying to self, which is also an unpleasant experience. I agree. But what about Jesus' statement that His yoke is easy? What is He referring to? Do you think that maybe dying to self is hard because we make it hard? Do you think perhaps a life of unselfish service is really a lighter burden than a life of self and sin?

LK: I think that dying to self is hard because it is hard, under the best of circumstances, and I also think that our spiritual ignorance, distrust of God and double-mindedness make it far harder than it needs to be. Still, "hard" and "easy" are relative terms--so that, as you implied, a life of unselfish service is a far lighter "burden" for a converted person than a life of self and sin is for an unconverted one. For two reasons, I think: One, because the burden of guilt and self-justification, loneliness and gnawing ambition that the selfish mind produces is so wearing; and two, because it is far easier to face the facts of our sinfulness now, while we can receive repentance and release, than to be hopelessly hammered by them in the judgment. Yet I think I've focused more on the "hard" part of the equation here. Do you think there's some sense in which taking Jesus' yoke is joyously and positively "easy"?

JS: There has to be, because He said so. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus is speaking to the care-worn masses. He's not saying, "Become religious, it will be even harder than the life you already live." He's saying that salvation will somehow make their lives easier and their burdens lighter. The converse is also true: that it's hard to be lost. Jesus told Paul that it was "hard" for him to resist the pleadings of God's Spirit (see Acts 9:5, KJV). The way I summarize it all is this: We can chose our battle. If we live for God, we will have the the world, the devil, and our own fallen nature arrayed against us. That's hard. But if we live for self, we will have God against us--lovingly poking and prodding our conscience to save us from ourselves. That's even harder. Christ offers peace and pardon, while the devil only offers us the temporary grogginess produced by sin. Even from a purely selfish motive, God's way is better.

LK: And speaking of motive, God even takes care of that, as He holds our hand and grows us up from our naturally self-centered motives to more spiritually mature ones. As we see how He's given Himself for us, loved us in spite of ourselves, we'll learn to say with Paul, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord;" I "count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him" (Philippians 3:8, 9, RSV). Paradoxical as it may be, and however we may choose to describe it, being friends with Jesus is infinitely better than any of life's "alternatives." Hey, Jen, I think we've experienced synergy--what do you think?

JS: There you go using those lofty words again–maybe we'd better define synergy now.

LK: Okay. Your buddy Webster defines it as "combined or cooperative action or force; working together." As you said, we can work together to bring equilibrium to complex concepts and difficult issues.

JS: Right. The members of the body of Christ sustain a synergistic relationship to one another, as they relate with mutual respect and affirm one another's viewpoints–provided they are grounded in the Word. Jesus said, "All ye are brethren," meaning all are worthy of equal consideration. One person sees one facet of the diamond, another sees a different facet. Both facets are legitimate, necessary parts of the same diamond. When we learn to appreciate each other's favorite facets, we'll all have a better grasp of the whole of truth. So in the end our love for one another will empower our proclamation of the gospel. Then all doctrinal and theological arguments will cease and marital spats will end peacefully by 9:00 PM.

LK: And you'll stop calling me lofty, at least in public. Think we could synergistically discuss that little lapse?

JS: Well, Les, these things work in theory, but...

LK: And to think this joint column was my idea. What was I thinking?

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*A. Leroy Moore, Adventism in Conflict (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1995), p. 116, emphasis in original.

**C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2001, originally published and copyrighted 1952 ), pp. 197, 198, emphasis supplied.