Recently on the 19th of September 2019, I was listening to ‘thought for the day’ on the BBC 4 radio programme ‘Today.’ The speaker was Lord Rabbi Johnathan Sack offering a resume on the retirement, after 30 years, of the presenter John Humphry’s.
John was a challenging interviewer and someone who coined the phrase ‘In him (God) we doubt.’ The Rabbi went on to encourage us to express our doubts in the context of finding ‘faith.’ He suggested that it was better to have an ‘honest doubt’ than a ‘dishonest faith.’
The challenge to all of us throughout the changing scenes of life is to find and then hold on to our faith and for it to be relevant for today and our tomorrows. Over the next few Insights I will consider how faith can be found and maintained in our Hearing, Seeing and Thinking.
Hearing
In Romans 10 v 14 – 18 the apostle Paul raises some questions about our hearing and listening. How can people know about who to trust in, if they have not heard about the One who can be trusted? How can people hear if nobody tells them? Faith comes to us by hearing from God’s word. In reality not many people are ready to hear, see and act in regards to faith and live a vibrant Christian lifestyle.
In Deuteronomy 6 v 4 the people of Israel are called for their attention to ‘consider God, our God, the one and only God,’ in the context of many god’s and beliefs that call out to us on a daily basis. In Psalm 95 v 7 we are asked to listen today, to the one speaking and not to turn a deaf ear, as in times past. Isaiah 40 v 21 calls readers to pay attention, to listen to stories and truths about God.
In our world today there is a growing movement, in and outside religious communities for a greater respect for times to be still, to reflect, to slow down, and to hear the inner voice and call of the Divine.
Throughout generations, people have accepted and rejected the call of scripture and for men and women to match their lifestyle to a firm faith and belief. In the Christian church our leaders and teachers should speak to us about the truths of God in tones that we can understand and respond to, having a ‘sure and certain faith.’
In 2 Timothy 4 v 3 we are reminded that there will be a day when people will have no stomach for solid teaching. They will fill up on spiritual junk food catching opinions that tickle their fancy. In Mark 4 v 12, many have eyes that are open but do not see anything related to faith. Many have ears that hear but do not understand a word around faith that is shared. One translation goes on to say ‘you scatterbrains, airheads, with eyes that see but don’t really look and ears that hear but don’t really listen.’
John Humphry as a presenter, had to listen to those he interviewed and ask questions of doubt and faith to help his listeners make their own judgments on many important issues in life. In our quest for truth and faith, in a very modern world, think about what you listen to today. How do you assess such information and evaluate what is important to hear and apply for daily living. May our faith inspire us to live with ‘honest doubt and faith’ rather than ‘dishonest faith and lifestyle.’
Have Faith
Graham
Explore to Inspire 