Grace Classics: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (9 page)

Today, September 8, is the
anniversary of the first regular episode of
Star Trek
. How could I pass
up an opportunity like this to talk about a cultural classic and one of my
all-time favorite TV shows?

“But
Paul, aren’t you supposed to be writing about Bible stuff? What does one of the
most culturally influential TV shows have to do with the grace of God?” Um, not
very much if I’m honest.

But if
you stay up late with a bottle of Romulan ale and let your mind wander onto the
bridge of the USS Enterprise, you might discover some amazing parallels between
Starfleet’s ongoing mission of exploration and our ongoing mission of preaching
the good news. You might find that we have quite a few things in common with
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Bones, Scotty, et al.

For
instance, have you ever noticed that the basic premise of
Star Trek
comes straight out of the New Testament? Think about it. Each week a starship
captain descends from the heavens bringing good news and blessings to an
isolated planet. Doesn’t that remind you of another man who descended from
heaven bringing good news to this orphaned planet? I know, it’s a stretch, but
bear with me. This could be fun.

For all
you Trekkies and Trekkers out there, here are twelve things Christians have in
common with
Star Trek
:

1.
     
We’re on a mission. Like the crew of
the Enterprise, we’ve got a job to do (Matthew 28:19). We might differ in what
we define as good news, but we’re both called to
go and tell
. There’s no
fluffing around on a starship. A sense of being on an exciting mission removes
any inclination towards apathy.

2.
     
Our desire is for the lost and
unreached. Like Paul (Romans 15:20) and Captain Kirk, we’re boldly going where
no one has gone before.

3.
     
We’re on a quest for new life. Captain
Kirk famously said he was seeking out new life. So are we (Acts 5:20). What
does new life look like?
Christ in you
. In him is life (John 1:4) and
whoever has the Son has life (1 John 5:12). We’re like mothers in childbirth
longing to see Christ formed in you (Galatians 4:19).

4.
     
We’re ambassadors. Like the crew of the
Enterprise, we don’t come in our own name but as representatives of another (2
Corinthians 5:20). We have no agendas or ministries of our own for we have been
entrusted with the Lord’s ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our
aim is to represent Jesus well.

5.
     
We come in peace. Just as you won’t see
the Starship Enterprise firing wantonly on a new planet, you won’t find us
marching into town like scary Old Testament prophets (see 1 Samuel 16:4). Our
feet are shod with the gospel of peace as we herald peace on earth and God’s
favor to men (Ephesians 6:15).

6.
     
We’re servant-hearted. The clever
engineers and scientists on a starship can fix the village well and do whatever
else needs to be done. Likewise, we minister to the whole person. The first
words you might hear us say are, “What do you need?” We who were once servants
of sin are now your servants for his sake (2 Corinthians 4:5).

7.
     
We heal the sick. In the world of the
Federation, Starfleet medical officers possess amazing healing powers, but I’ve
never seen any of them resurrect the dead or drive out demons. We have superior
capabilities and healing the sick is a part of our mission (Mark 16:18).

8.
     
We’re color-blind. On a starship bridge
it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, yellow or Vulcan. Everyone’s in
this together. Similarly, there is neither Jew nor Greek for we are all one in
Christ (Galatians 3:28). Forty years ago
Star Trek
shocked the world
with an interracial kiss. Big deal. Two thousand years ago righteousness and
peace kissed at the cross and everything changed (Psalm 85:10). The Righteous
One embraced unrighteous humanity in the greatest act of love the world has
ever seen (Romans 5:8).

9.
     
We function best as a team. Contrary to
his image as a maverick captain, James T. Kirk wouldn’t last five minutes by
himself. If the Enterprise is to leave space dock he’s going to need Scotty,
Spock, Bones and many others. It’s the same with us (Romans 12:5). We’re
members of a body and each part is necessary (1 Corinthians 12:22). A lone
Christian is about as useful as a starship captain on an empty bridge.

10.
 
We work for free. Here’s something you’ll never see at the
end of a
Star Trek
episode: a Starfleet officer handing a bill for
services to a local official. It’s the same with us (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Yes,
we have to eat, but he who provides seed to the sower and bread for food takes
care of us (2 Corinthians 9:10).

11.
 
We shine in impossible situations. Like Captain Kirk we are
not intimidated by overwhelming odds. We laugh in the face of adversity
(Matthew 17:20). Unlike Kirk we don’t survive by our wits and resourcefulness
but by trusting in a mighty God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9).

12.
 
We’re not afraid of Klingons. In fact, we who have already
died are not afraid of anything. The most repeated instruction in our operating
manual is “fear not” (e.g., Isaiah 43:1).

A word after

There’s an urban legend that says
the Bible has been translated into the fictional
Star Trek
language of
Klingon. This isn’t true; only bits of it have been translated. But it does
make you wonder what the gospel would sound like if preached in Klingon. The
Klingons are a warrior race after all. I’m not sure they have words for peace,
love, and forgiveness. I find it easier to picture Klingons reciting the Ten
Commandments and the sundry laws of Moses. The imperative “thou shalt not” has
an aggressive, Klingony feel about it, don’t you think?

If there
are any Klingon translators reading this I encourage you to concentrate your
efforts on Leviticus. Trust me, it’s a winning strategy. But to articulate the
gospel of grace we need a better language, one that has multiple words for
love. Greek, for instance. That could work.

Incidentally,
Biblical Greek is recognized as a classical language which seems appropriate
since it was used to convey a classic message. We have spent this whole book
unpacking that message, but the message itself is not complicated. The gospel
is simple. To demonstrate that, let me finish with Paul’s summary of it, as it appears
in his classic greeting:

χάρις
ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη
ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς
ἡμῶν καὶ
Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ
Χριστοῦ·ἀμήν.

Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

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God’s
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“A must read!”
—
CLARK
WHITTEN

“The modern day Magna Carta of Christianity.”
—
SIMON YAP

“A brilliant and insightful response to the
misunderstandings some have about the message of grace.”
—
ED ELLIOTT

“May well become a handbook for all who preach God’s
glorious grace.”
—
TONY IDE

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