Conviction

I was listening to the radio on my way into work the other morning. I don't remember what the topic of discussion was about, but I do remember that a lady called the show to share her wisdom. She claimed that fleas can jump 600 yards in one bound. Immediately the host of the show saw this as folly and pointed it out, but the lady continued to argue that this statement was indeed a fact because she had heard it on a T.V. show. She was convinced of her source and vehemently defended what she saw as an unassailable fact. The show host then quickly checked on the internet and found that this distance was more like 6 inches. The "fact" that she embraced so deeply, was wrong by an astounding factor of 3600. She was not only wrong, but she almost could not have been more wrong. This led me to wonder how often do we hold a deep belief based on such obviously flawed logic?

Part of the inspiration for this post came to me from a Bible verse my pastor has been talking about recently:

Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 1 Peter 3:15

Personally I worry that I will do more harm than good to the name of Jesus if I have not carefully considered the Bible in full detail. That includes studying it carefully through complete readings of multiple versions from Genesis to Revelation, from studying multiple Bible-study expositions, from meeting and talking about it with others to deepen and broaden my understanding and to develop the necessary defenses to give an accurate account of what I know. If someone asks me about the God that I worship or presses me on what I know about Jesus and I argue that a flea can jump 600 yards in a single bound, I will not only quickly be seen to be spouting nonsense, but I will diminish the name of the Lord.