What Happens When Two Wordview Collide?
What
happens when two individuals with two opposing worldviews interact? Paul Hiebert answers this saying,
“We are similarly largely unaware of our own worldview
and how it shapes our thoughts and actions.
We simply assume that the world is the way we see it, and that others
see it in the same way. We become
conscious of our worldviews when they are challenged by outside events they
cannot explain.”[1]
Until
a person’s personal worldview is held up in comparison with another, they are
relatively unaware of their own point of view.
The interaction with an opposing perspective of reality causes the
individual to self-reflect on their own lens making them attentive to their own
point of view. Furthermore, when these worldviews
are challenged by events and situations that are too difficult to comprehend,
great anxiety can come forth. Hiebert
comments on this saying,
“To question worldviews is to challenge the very
foundations of life, and people resist such challenges with deep emotional
reactions. There are few human fears
greater than a loss of a sense of order and meaning. People are willing to die for their beliefs
if these beliefs make their deaths meaningful.” [2]
Worldview conflicts do and should happen in the
church. As parishioners interact with
each other, there will be point of view collisions. Furthermore, as a pastor when you preach the
Scriptures and apply the Word to the flock you will be laying forth a particular
way of viewing the world that has been shaped by the truths of the Scriptures. The grand meta-narrative of the Scriptures
will continually form your parish as well as your own worldview. Therefore, don’t be surprised when the
Scriptures come into conflict with assumptions in the church, due to worldviews
that have not been solely formed by the Bible.
Keep in mind that many times worldviews of parishioners are formed by the
Scriptures and a variety of other
influences in life such as: personal experiences, cultural norms, the media,
traditions, folk Christian theology and so forth.
To read more on this subject, CLICK HERE.
Comments
Any thoughts on how one moves someone from a humanist, atheistic worldview to a Christian (biblical) worldview?