One of the elements that define relationships among or between concepts within the theory is a lack of spuriousness. If a theory has spuriousness, it means that an unforeseen variable is having some sort of effect on the variables that are being examined. Here's an example. In the summer, people eat more ice cream. Also, the crime rate is higher in the summer than any other season. So, does ice cream cause crime? No. There's a third, spurious variable playing into the relationship. People eat more ice cream when it's hot, and the people commit more crimes when it's hot. Conclusions like the one that says crime is a result of ice cream consumption are based on a problem of causation.
When Moses stands before the burning bush, God tells him to take his sandals off because he is standing on holy ground. Why was the ground holy? God was there. It's not because Moses took his sandals off. If we come to that conclusion we have a problem with causation. Moses didn't do anything to cause the ground to be holy, God did. God caused the ground to be holy by being there.
In Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a slave who is offered forgiveness from his massive debt, but does not offer his fellow slave forgiveness from a very meager debt. When word of this gets back to the master who forgave the first slave, he throws him in jail until he can pay everything he had originally owed. Jesus then says that His Father will treat us this way if we do not forgive our brothers from our hearts. This is a difficult passage to accept, and many people interpret this to say that if we don't forgive people, God won't forgive us. But if we come to this conclusion, we have a serious problem with causation. Our works can not cause God to do anything. In fact, it's the other way around completely.
The master offered the slave forgiveness first, yet he refused to accept it. Therefore, when it came time to forgive his brother, he had no forgiveness to give. You can't give something that you don't have. If we are to forgive our brothers, or even more, our enemies, we first have to claim the forgiveness we need. It is only when We take the gift of forgiveness God is presenting us that we are able to genuinely give it away to our brothers. If we choose not to do so, we are truly imprisoned by our own selfish pride. Thus, God treats us exactly how we have chosen to live; God will not release us from a jail within which we choose to live.
There are many other instances in scripture where it is easy to take what is written and interpret it in a way that makes us responsible for God's blessings. The Beatitudes are another prime example. They say:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Again, we have the tendency to confuse the causality. It is easy to believe that if we become merciful, peacemakers, poor in spirit, etc., then we will be blessed. But the truth is, Jesus is making us into these things, and we are blessed because we accept that transformation. These promises stand no matter what we do, it is only our place to accept or deny their coming in our lives.
The ground would have been holy even if Moses had not removed His sandals. His action was actually a reaction to the presence of the Most High God. Likewise, our forgiveness of others is a reaction to the forgiveness that we have received. If we have truly claimed such a thing, how could we not forgive our brothers?
Isn't it comforting to know that God's Kingdom is still moving no matter what we do? When things are going well as far as we can see, it's popular to be proud of what we've done. But what about when things are going badly? I fall often into the trap that if I don't do what I had planned to do, the Kingdom of Heaven would fall into chaos, and the Movement that Jesus started would be no more. But the ground is still holy. God is still moving. Jesus is still shaping us. The Kingdom is still prevailing. We can not forget what is causing this Kingdom movement in the first place.
One of the best parts about the whole Story is that God is using me and you and all of us to do His work, even though He could do it Himself. What an extravagant way to say "I love you!" Stories often go to great lengths to convey simple truths. God is causing a story to unfold all around you. He only wants you to be a part of it.
