Dia-Logos Podcast - Ep 5 - Faith, War, and the Red Rose

Uh, Mike, something very fascinating about Frank Jackson's book called Mary's Room, which is a famous thought experiment in the philosophy of truth.

Help us to see how you draw a connection between Frank Jackson's book and not only missions in general, but also your latest experience in Lebanon and Syria.

When I was introduced to, to the book Mary's Room, it really touched a nerve, Brad.

Mm.

And first of all, I think from, for me personally, confirmed why we travel to Lebanon, why we travel to Syria, because we often get this question: "Why do you go there? Isn't this a season of war? Isn't it safer to wait till the war is over? Why do you go now?" And my answer is always, "Why would I go when it's safer? You know, why would I go when the war is over? The people need us now." But this book really, I think, confirmed something in my heart.

The, it's, it's a fascinating story, uh, that Frank Jackson writes.

It's, it's about a lady called Mary, and she's confined to a room, and the room consis- consists of no colors at all, so it's a black-and-white grayscale room.

This is where she spends every single day of her life.

And then she starts studying the physics of color.

So she starts exper- experimenting with brainwaves and prisms and everything that relates to color, but she's never seen color.

And then Mary has an opportunity to escape the room, finds herself in a garden, and for the first time in her life, she holds a red rose, and she sees color.

And I think, Brad, you know, so it's a powerful thought because sometimes we profess, we teach, and we believe the truth, but we've never really experienced what it is to say, "Lord, I, I'm battling.

I'm suffering." You know, I'm ...

Once we, once we encounter the faithfulness of God, not as a theology, but in the midst of our struggles, we actually, we're actually holding a red rose.

Mm.

So I, I just came to an understanding, Brad, that so many people talk these days, and we see it on television.

What's happening in Gaza, what's happening in Lebanon, buildings being destroyed, lives being lost, and regardless on what side of the fence you stand, I just said to myself, "I want to go and see the color of what's happening in these nations.

I don't want the theory of people dying.

I don't want the numbers.

I don't want the research.

I want to physically sit next to people and cry and weep with them."

Mm.

And yeah, it's such a beautiful thought that color can only really be understood once we look at it, not once we talk about it.

So that's one of the reasons why we went to Leb- to, to Lebanon and Syria.