Have you ever thought about how exciting it must’ve been to be an explorer at sea back before the world was fully known to us? Sure, there was danger involved and you never knew if a storm (or the mythical kraken) was going to show up and devour your crew. But on the flip side, you had the excitement of discovering new lands, new peoples, and new resources to advance the flourishing of humankind. If you were to ever lose your way, you could always drop anchor to get your bearings before moving on to the next uncharted territory.
This is often how I feel today in the sea of ideas, opinions, and new perspectives about the world. I love to explore new insights, to try and see the world through other people’s eyes, and attempt to understand how other people think – even if I completely disagree with them. But just like the explorers of the old world, I know that it is possible to lose my way amongst the surge of new thoughts and ideas. There’s even the danger of being swallowed up by a way of thinking that would lead me away from my Christian faith.
It is for this reason that I am so grateful for the great creeds, confessions and catechisms of the church (especially those of my denomination, the Westminster Confession/Catechisms).