Monthly Archives: December 2016

When There is No Real Answer

Insights

So many questions in life remain unanswered, especially the really deep ones. I guess that’s what makes them deep…. Sometimes, the trite answer – which isn’t really an answer – is to trust in God and His infinite love, power and knowledge. Sometimes (well, actually, it’s usually) that’s hard too. But still I think that often that is the best answer. We just need to trust, essentially.

I read an excellent little article by Matt Rabjohns, on this very subject, which fleshes out the idea with real trust.  Here it is, and I trust it will bless you:

“Sometimes you have to realise amidst all the baffling questions of life you just have to rely on Jesus. There are so many I wrestle with when I needn’t bother to. Jesus is already the Victor. Jesus is already the winner. The blackest day on Earth will not push aside the fact that when on the Cross He states It is Finished. The questions need not find all their answers in life. Just leave them in God’s hands. He sees. He knows. He understands. And above all these his Name is Mercy and Love. He wont strike me down for my questions. But I am no longer afraid of them anymore. They can’t take me from His side. His blood is over me and that is my infinite protection. If God be for me who can be against me, I know some verses are now transformed sometimes into little more than cliches but I believe in them with all my heart. The questions will never overpower the ultimate answer. Jesus is my Triumphant risen blessed Saviour who can never be defeated. I am so humbled and inspired to have such a decent, kind, selfless and loving God who watches over me. No, I don’t and never have or never will have a fire breathing mental case whose wrath will shove me into the pit of hell for ever. No, God and Jesus and the Spirit are LOVE. Why is this so very hard to grasp? I’ve seen it in evidence far too often to disbelieve this. One day the broken and battered shall be healed. one day the questions shall be answered. One day the pain that plagues creation will be gone. So for me and mine, I choose to trust in the Lord. And I will love all His children on the planet. I will not sit and judge like some pharisee. I will be open for Jesus to shine through me. Love is with us. Thank You Lord for all you’ve done for us. We can never hope to thank or praise You enough“.

[Edit: See also ‘Life’s Big Questions‘]

Two Sayings of Robert F Capon

Insights, Others' stuff

Robert F Capon was an American Episcopal priest who said some pretty interesting things. Some of which I agree with, and some not (unsurprising given my strongly held opinions!).

Here, though, are two really excellent quotes, full of life and freedom. Over to you, Fr. Capon:

“Trust him. And when you have done that, you are living the life of grace. No matter what happens to you in the course of that trusting – no matter how many waverings you may have, no matter how many suspicions that you have bought a poke with no pig in it, no matter how much heaviness and sadness your lapses, vices, indispositions, and bratty whining may cause you – you believe simply that Somebody Else, by his death and resurrection, has made it all right, and you just say thank you and shut up.

“The whole slop-closet full of mildewed performances (which is all you have to offer) is simply your death; it is Jesus who is your life. If he refused to condemn you because your works were rotten, he certainly isn’t going to flunk you because your faith isn’t so hot. You can fail utterly, therefore, and still live the life of grace. You can fold up spiritually, morally, or intellectually and still be safe. Because at the very worst, all you can be is dead – and for him who is the Resurrection and the Life, that just makes you his cup of tea”.

And…

“Grace is the celebration of life, relentlessly hounding all the non-celebrants in the world. It is a floating, cosmic bash shouting its way through the streets of the universe, flinging the sweetness of its cassations to every window, pounding at every door in a hilarity beyond all liking and happening, until the prodigals come out at last and dance, and the elder brothers finally take their fingers out of their ears”.

A Poke in the Faith – A Short Review

Insights, Reviews

I just want to make another shameless plug for my friend David Matthew‘s book ‘A Poke in the Faith’. David is a scholarly man who is widely read in Christian literature, and indeed founded (and taught in) a couple of Bible schools here in the UK.

The book’s subject matter is exactly relevant for readers of this blog who can identify with my enquiries into the ‘boundaries of faith’. In the book, he describes how evangelical Christians are calling into question certain tenets of their faith (like I do in my blog), and explains how and why it is safe to do this.

He explains, in clear language, what dilemmas and problems are faced by Evangelicals who wish to preserve their faith but also have genuine questions.

His perspective is that of a helpful mentor who recognises the primacy – first importance – of the believer’s personal relationship with Christ, and he explains carefully how, so long as that relationship comes first and foremost, the believer’s entire faith does not need to come crashing down if some of its basic tenets are challenged. He likens this to a tower of wooden blocks in the family game ‘Jenga’: it is perfectly fine to prod and move blocks without bringing the entire edifice down, although he does in fact wonder whether such a tower is necessary in the first place.

Not only does David explain why questioning these doctrines is not going to destroy one’s faith, but he also makes some recommendations as to how we can share our ‘changes of opinion’ gently with others. Throughout the book, David’s emphasis is on maintaining, not destroying, one’s faith and indeed building ourselves up, and others, in our faith through our questioning. Written with his easygoing and humorous style, and with David’s passion for building up the Body of Christ, this book is a real treasure-trove of goodness.

For people with sincere ‘faith questions’, I would indeed recommend this book as a reassuring, encouraging ‘manual’ full of helpful ideas which are so useful when going through our ‘heretic’ times such as those being experienced by many people these days. Reading this book will affirm you in your questioning and it will also provide encouragement and practical tips that are really useful in our real lives. And there is a ‘further reading’ list as well that includes many useful (short!) book reviews too.

The book is free; you can download it as a PDF or as a Kindle .mobi file, or an .epub file for other eBook readers.

There’s really no reason not to get this book and read it. I simply can’t recommend it highly enough.

Click the cover image below to go to the download page:

poke-in-the-faith