the BookForward By Charlie Lowell

If you’re anything like me, life feels a little awkward.  It’s strange to live in this world, knowing that this is not our true home, that we were created for something more.  Yet we live among suffering and frustration, from corruption and disease to our own more personal struggles.  I have been told all my life that my true identity is not to be found here on earth, but I still care deeply about this world and it’s people.  Does any of this resonate with you?  Then let’s just say it- life is messy and confusing, and it’s pretty tough to navigate our way through the mess.  And where is God to be found in this midst of all this?

For the 12 years I’ve been in the band Jars of Clay, this word worldview has chased us around and haunted us as we travel this intriguing world, and meet all sorts of people- each with their own set of beliefs.  I like the idea of a window through which we see things -it gives us a context and a purpose, and helps us make a little more sense of the chaos.  Our worldview helps us understand who God is, and who we are because of God.  And understanding other worldviews can give us a better idea of how to work, live, and exist in a culture with people that don’t always agree with us!

I grew up going to church and reading my Bible, but I see now that I had a tendency to live two lives- the “Good-Christian-Boy-Charlie” at home and church, and the “Insecure-Awkward-Not-Sure-How-This-All-Fits-Together-Charlie” at school and in social settings.  The more I live and learn and make mistakes, I see how my Christian worldview helps cut through the lies about both versions of me, and the Gospel of Jesus begins to inform and define who I am.  There is a connection between what I believe and how I respond to God’s love for me.

The more I spend time with my faith and my God, the more I understand that my heart is designed to be engaged with this world- to not just cut off my longings and live in a Christian bubble.  Jesus’ life was one of stepping into messy relationships and bringing love and light into the pain.  He gives us our true identity, and becomes our sustaining reason to interact with others, to get our hands a little dirty. 

I’m so thankful for this handbook that Bayard has given to us.  It gives us a place to start thinking more about that window through which we filter our life.  In reading this book, some of these concepts may be very new to you, and may challenge what you were taught growing up in a church.  Or you may find yourself surprised at how much you resonate with these words and ideas, and have already developed some sense of your worldview.  My desire for you is that this book will help make more sense of who you are, who God is, and what your purpose and identity is.  You will also learn a lot about what the people around you believe.

Let me offer you one verse that has helped me make sense of my beliefs, and continues to be a great encouragement to me.  I might call it a “companion verse” because it has become a sort of compass that reminds me what is always true.  It resonates deeply in my heart, I suspect because it comes from deep in God’s heart, and I am created to care about the things that He cares about.

Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Justice, mercy, and humility.  These are tools with which we can, and should, interact with this world we live in.  Seeking justice, extending mercy, walking in humility.  These are action words.  We don’t just sit back and admire the Christian life- we are invited to respond to it!  My prayer for you is that this book would help you make a deeper connection between what you say you believe and how you life your live from day to day.  Enjoy the journey, my friend.

Charlie Lowell
Franklin, Tennessee