Faith Venture

Back in the days when I was a teacher, we would read some Biblical passage. Some would like to discuss various theologies or ideas.

I would like to ask, “So what?”

How does this apply to us when we leave the room?

I just finished a book of 141 sermons of John Wesley. I didn’t look up the exact quote, but he at times said the same thing. He was concerned that we stop with faith and forget the why. Why do we have faith? Well, to be able to perform service to our fellow humans. 

Like James said in his letter, faith without works is dead.

The next time you feel like arguing weird bits of theology, pause and think, “So what?”

I once taught a class focusing on Roger Williams, an early proponent of church-state separation, in the American colonies in the 1600s. He was instrumental in the founding of Rhode Island as a place to escape Puritan rule in Massachusetts.

While we were in Quebec, we learned about the quiet revolution where people rebelled against the Catholic Church’s intrusion into government. It seemed as if the Catholic Church was running everything telling people how to live the minutest part of their lives. The result was a separation of church and state and reaction against the church such that these days few people attend mass, even though they somewhat identify as Catholic.

During my university years, I did much reading about the early middle ages in Europe, where Bishops and Cardinals of the church, and indeed even the pope, exerted much influence over the kings and princes of Europe. Of course, then came the reformation leading to extended and prolonged wars between protestants and Catholics. After more than 100 years of war, no wonder Europeans, tired of such extreme religious fervor.

Humans must have a need for certainty. In this era look at Iran, where a religious government took over from an only mildly corrupt secular government. It has lasted for some years, but people are growing tired, even there, of the extreme religious intrusion into daily life.

Even in America founded on the idea of separation of church and state there is a movement of religious fundamentalism seeking to install a Christian government trying to have the government intrude minutely into peoples daily lives. 

I was just reading in Matthew’s Gospel chapter four about the beginning of Jesus ministry. Matthew says that theme was gods kingdom. Not our kingdom, but gods kingdom.

I stand amazed at the number of humans seeking to replace God with themselves—in the name of God.

Some of us simply wish to follow Jesus’ call to love and service.

A 19^th Century critic of the Christianity of his day, but what could easily be the Christianity of today, observed, “Christians have never practiced the actions Jesus prescribed them.”

I remember a teacher remarking when I was in high school, “Do what I say, not what I do.”

Some people have derisively shouted at another, “Practice what you preach.”

Today’s news reading informed me of several (many?) church leaders whose sexual exploits either with same sex or opposite sex victims have come to light forcing even more resignations of high profile preachers.

Jesus left a command twice about loving one another and loving our neighbors. Not the kind of “love” those preachers and leaders practiced. Rather Jesus showed us with stories like the Samaritan who cared for the injured traveller. 

I wrote yesterday of intentional love riffing off the words of the Apostle Peter.

Peter continued to describe that love (just in case you are confused):

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, 

since love covers a multitude of sins. 

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, 

as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

Just as in a song I used to sing back in the 70s–Love is something you do. Not always something that you feel, but it’s real.