Mind & Heart
By Head of School Michael Dewey
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matt. 22:37).
I thought I would share some reflections on what our students have been learning this year in Christian Ethics. At the end, you’ll find a few highlights from student responses to a very important Essential Question.
In the English language, we often distinguish between mind and heart. We see the mind as the center of thought and understanding, and the heart as being the place where will and emotions reside. We even speak of some people being led by their heart, while others are led only by their mind. The latter may possess all of the knowledge in the world, but never any passion. The distinction being that we could have a great deal of head knowledge on a particular subject, without it making its way to our heart and truly making a difference in our lives. In both Hebrew and Greek, however, heart and mind are often interwoven and represented by a single word. This is not to imply that they are synonymous, but simply that God has designed us so that mind and heart should work together. When the mind perceives truth, the heart embraces it—at least that is the original design plan. In our fallen world, heart and mind are often divided, where the heart rejects what the mind knows to be true, or even where the mind deceives our heart into following a lie. There is even scriptural justification for division within each of these spheres, with will and desire divided against itself (Romans 7: 14-20), and a person being double-minded (James 1: 7-8). Such is the state of man.
Christ reflects this unity when he answers the Pharisees by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4 (what is commonly referred to as the Shema). Jesus adds the word mind, which is not necessarily reflected in the original Hebrew. I say necessarily, because Jesus is not adding to scripture in his response; he is merely unpacking the full meaning of the Hebrew word translated as heart. We are to love God with both mind and heart. The only way to truly do this in our fallen world is through the regeneration and renewal that comes with placing our faith in Christ and his death on the cross as the payment for our sin. This means that in a Christian school, the focus must be on both heart and mind. We can fill our students' heads with knowledge of arguments for God’s existence, historical evidence of Christ’s resurrection, and detailed responses to every essential question, but if we fail to attend to the heart of our students, we will have failed in our mission. Those who know the truth of God’s word but fail to embrace it with their heart, are just as prone to walk away from faith as those who have never taken the time to study apologetics.
Christian Ethics & Contemporary Culture
This year, our juniors are taking Christian Ethics, which is designed to help students make moral decisions in keeping with the teachings of scripture. Students have learned arguments against relativism, postmodernism, consequentialism, utilitarianism, situationism, and emotivism. That’s a lot of isms! They have also discussed a variety of Christian approaches to ethics, contrasting deontological and teleological systems, as well as unqualified, conflicting, and graded absolutism. Believe me, it’s a lot of information to take in. But in the midst of all these isms and ologies, we have talked a great deal about virtue ethics. At its core, Christianity is about being the right kind of person. We can acquire a great deal of knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of opposing ethical systems, but unless we allow Christ to renovate our heart and transform our thinking, we will struggle with making choices that honor God. The best way to become a moral leader, is by allowing God to transform us into moral persons.
One of the readings we have discussed in class was a selection from Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Willard, a prominent philosopher who wrote a great deal on spiritual formation, believed that the only way we can successfully face the moral and spiritual challenges that our world presents is through a transformation of our heart. He wrote, “That spiritual place within us from which outlook, choices, and actions come has been formed by a world away from God. Now it must be transformed. Indeed, the only hope of humanity lies in the fact that, as our spiritual dimension has been formed, so it also can be transformed.” This was the final reading in a series of articles designed to prepare students to answer the following Essential Question: How much do circumstances factor into moral decision making? Each student was challenged to identify how they would approach tough moral decisions, as well as potential moral dilemmas where there seems to be no good options.
Student Exemplars
In reading over the written responses submitted by each student, I came across several that impressed me greatly. As our students prepare to head off to college and face seemingly insurmountable pressure to compromise their beliefs and abandon their moral convictions, my confidence in this emerging generation of Christian leaders has been renewed. Evergreen students are ready to stand firm. They are grounded in God’s word, resolute in their commitment to Christ, and have spent a great deal of time thinking through how they will answer those who challenge them. In support of this renewed confidence, I would like to share two EQ responses that stood out. The first was from Madelyn W., who concluded her essay with the following gem: “…if we learn to have the heart of God, the mind of Christ, and a will set on pleasing Him alone, then we will truly find moral decision making to be a much more natural process. Ultimately, by allowing God to transform our hearts and minds, making decisions that reflect His will becomes not only possible, but a true display of our faith in action.”
The second response I will share in full. This student wrote a detailed response illustrating the importance of trusting God for guidance when facing difficult moral choices. What is impressive is the forethought and careful deliberation that she put into her essay, which is indicative of what the majority of our students wrote. I hope you find it as encouraging as did I. Your prayerful support and generosity of our program is what makes outcomes like these possible.
To God be the glory!
Essential Question #13
Kayden J.
In our modern world we face several dark crises. Postmodernism, denial of objective truth, and division everywhere – and among these is the state of our understanding of ethics. The push for relativism and consequentialism is troubling at best. The argument that the righteousness of an act can only be determined by its result (consequentialism) and the argument that there is no way to determine if an act is righteous as it varies person to person (relativism) are growing, and both deny objectivity. As Christians, we know that ethics is grounded in the absolute foundation of God’s goodness and Word. So, then, with that established, what determines an action’s righteousness? Are circumstances a factor – do they play any part in the right or wrongness of our decisions?
Usually, in our everyday lives, we will not be confronted with such extreme or life-threatening situations as the Trolley dilemma, choosing to sacrifice 1 to save 1<, etc. However, if we were to ever come across an extreme dilemma like those, one should look at the situation from an Unqualified Absolutist perspective. In a difficult situation, it may seem like we are faced with only poor choices. However, we will never be put in a situation where we are forced to sin. There is always another, better option. Do not immediately settle for the lesser evil (Conflicting Absolutism) nor the higher good (Graded Absolutism). 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us that God will provide a way out. We will never be put in a situation where the only options are sin and sin. However, as humans, we will not be able to always see this third option – so, if the time comes and we still cannot see it, we should look from the Conflicting Absolutist standpoint and choose the lesser evil and repent afterwards.
When it comes to the Deontological (duty-based) vs. Teleological (end-focused) debate, Deontological falls into line better with Christianity. An action is good if the motives are good, but this is not to say that the end result is irrelevant. Motives are good if they reflect God’s character and are rooted in Scripture. Additionally, keep in mind that motives – even if they are apparently founded in scripture – are capable of being misconstrued, so not all motives are good.
Most day-to-day decisions must be made instantaneously. However, this is not necessarily always the case. In circumstances that provide you with time before making the decision, your thought process may look different. Wayne Grudem ponders this situation in his article Nine Sources of Information and Guidance, as he contemplates the sequence we should follow when given this excess time. However, some of the “sources” he proposes are capable of misleading or being misled. For example, he lists “Information about Oneself,” “Advice from Others,” and “Information from Studying the Situation,” (Grudem, 1) – all of which can be false or falsely interpreted. Additionally, he leaves out prayer – which is crucial and should be our first source. Thus, the best way to approach a dilemma when given time to analyze the situation is to:
1. Pray. This should always be the first mode of action. The Bible emphasizes the importance of prayer a myriad of times, including James 5:16, Mark 11:24, and Romans 12:12. Go to the Lord in prayer for all things (Jeremiah 29:12, Philippians 4:6), especially moral dilemmas. God has answers to everything and will provide you with a way out. Ask God for insight on the situation and to open your eyes to the third, righteous option.
2. Wait + Go to the Bible – for this step they should be done in tandem. Wait for God’s response. However, not every situation allows for God’s response to be immediate – and in many cases, God’s response comes after the situation has settled. Thus, we should be further studying the Bible while waiting. Analyze the Bible for past cases in the Bible that may give insight on how to approach your dilemma – or how not to.
3. Study the situation. Ecclesiastes 5:2 exemplifies the popular phrase, “look before you leap.” Thus, it’s clear that we should take a step back to analyze our situation from an objective standpoint before making any decisions.
4. Inform yourself through research from reputable sources. Talk to credible friends or spiritual leaders (pastors, guidance counselors, mentors, etc.). We’re told to study God’s Word with others (Matthew 18:20). Others may have had similar experiences and could have learned from mistakes or seen the fruit of their decisions – which can be helpful insight.
In our everyday lives, we are not faced with extreme life-or-death situations. However, if we were to encounter such a Moral dilemma, we should remember that God always offers a righteous option and will never leave us to choose from two sins (1 Corinthians 10:13). Albeit, due to our humanity, it is unlikely we will be able to always see this third option, and we should proceed to follow the suggested sequence of guidance sources. After prayer, research, and the other parts of the sequence, if you still cannot see the third option and it comes time to make the decision, we are morally obligated to choose the lesser evil and repent for our sins afterwards. Always look for the righteous way out, but if you must make a decision before it is revealed, we should aim for the lesser evil and repent.