Theological Journal – January 14 Torrance Tuesday When an Iota Makes More than an Iota of Difference – All the Difference, In Fact!
During World War II Thomas Torrance, serving as a chaplain found himself comforting a mortally wounded young soldier. “Padre,” the dying soldier asked him, “Is God really like Jesus?” How would you answer him if you had been his chaplain? Torrance’s answer: “He is the only God that there is, the God who has come to us in Jesus, shown his face to us, and poured out his love to us as our Savior.” The young man died having heard that assurance. Why was Torrance able to give such assurance to that dying soldier? Many today would not be able to because they believe that God (the Father, to use Christian lingo) is fundamentally different than Jesus the Son. The former is, as I like to put it, the “God with a Scowl.” A morally over-scrupulous scorekeeper scrutinizing our every attitude and action ready, eager even, to rain judgment down on us when we misstep. Such is his disposition toward us. Jesus, such folk believe, is for us, loves us, forgives us, keeps us safe by inter...