There is absolutely no room in American thought for middle ground. Everybody is required to pick an extreme and stick with it. Middle ground is for the uncommitted. The middle is where the squishy live. Either/or feels better than both/and. America certainly did not invent extremism. It is the battle cry of religion and is the bane of religion’s existence. A funny thing happened on the way to the mushy middle. Extremism reeled us in by appealing to our thirst for sensationalism.
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Free Will
Perhaps the greatest mystery of Christianity is the conundrum that is God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. It was the epitome of extremism long before there was capitalism, socialism, and two-party systems. Sensationalism certainly predates O.J. Simpson, Caitlin Jenner and the Murdoch family. Some of the biggest fights in the history of the church in America were fought on the battleground of this mystery. Alas, it has sprung to the forefront because our church is wading through the Book of Esther found in the Old Testament.
God’s Giant Chessboard
I certainly do not intend to be confrontational or controversial, however there are those that have been given pause by our analogy of “God moving around chess pieces”. The account of Esther, which is verifiable with secular history by the way, is the classic example of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will unequivocally co-existing. God is present and active in the book we call Esther despite the fact that He is never mentioned by name. Our imagery of God moving people around like chess pieces may be a bit liberal. However, He clearly works among us. On the other hand, Esther has a keen mind of her own. Her reasoning will lead her to make choices that will alter history.
Choices
Esther made choices. Esther chose to fast and pray. In addition, Esther chose to stand up, speak up, and risk her life for her people. This is where things get tricky. God did not make Esther fast and pray. He certainly didn’t force her to risk her life. Yet, He knew precisely what she would do, because He is an all-knowing and all-powerful God. If He doesn’t know our next move, He is certainly not pre-eminent in our universe. It is not either/or, consequently it is both/and. God is sovereign. You get to choose. When it comes to these ideas choosing the mushy middle is precisely the thing to do. Loitering on either extreme will limit your understanding of God and man. Middle ground is for the uncommitted, except when it comes to this issue. The middle is the best and safest place.
