in response to the Gospel Reading for Sunday, August 10, 2008
Matthew 14: 22-33
That doubting Peter. Thomas gets all the props--or the dubious credit, rather--of being the quintessential 'doubter'. When in actual fact, Peter is a doubter en par with anyone, particularly...well, all of us. It is within all our natures to be cynical, suspicious (just ask Elvis about the condition of our minds), and down right doubtful--to greater or lesser degrees. Though it does seem far more common in this day (this day meaning 2008, not Friday...though it is Friday if you are reading this on Friday).
As I say fairly regularly, we are living in an age that increasingly wants evidence or proof. The culture of the world wants only beliefs that can be backed up by fact--proved in an equation or test tube. Even worse, our world is more and more prone to stand by, and stand for beliefs that are 'proven' by popular acceptance. If it is chic' to be an atheist (just as an example), then more and more people will choose atheism (whether they truly believe in an atheist dogma or not, which borderlines on irony). Faith in the popular could be applied to any system, religious or other. And it can certainly be said that such faith via popularity was enjoyed for a long time by Christianity. It was. We call this Christendom. And it is over. This is something that may be seen as a threat to the Christian faith. Though I don't see it as all that threatening.
For, though this trend (based on no empirical data other than my unique perspective) may be growing, it certainly is not new. This is a very similar challenge to one the early church--especially Jesus--faced. Many, many, people did not step out to claim faith in God through Christ Jesus not because it was unbelievable (which is a suspect term anyway), nor because they didn't personally have in internal, implicit belief of this God and faith in this God. Early people rejected the faith of early church because of the fierce reaction that the dominant faith community of the time (Pharisees, et al) would surely render. Question: should the word 'dominant' go with the word 'faith'...ever?
Faith in the Living God walking in the person of (the Living) Jesus was not chic'. And it is not chic' now. Once more, this bloggist doesn't see this as a threat. It may be a challenge (which is a more neutral idea than it is positive or negative). Better still, this popular doubt is an opportunity.
to be continued...
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1 comment:
Tres good Mateo. If we live the way we do and believe the way we do because it is the thing to do, that's not really faith, is it?
Faith almost requires that it be exercised in opposition to some prevailing belief or logic or popular notion. Even if that opposition is just the pragmatic modern need for proof.
So, I think it is healthy, actually, that the Way is not necessarily winning the popularity contest. We can know that our faith is in God, not the reaction of the world.
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