Mountains don't move. Well, according to plate tectonic theory that is not precisely correct, but it is precisely correct that no mountain will ever evacuate my path should I so command. With this principle in mind, which I take as true, I turn to Jesus' statement on faith in Matt. 17:20.
I certainly don't take Jesus as being literal at this point, although it wouldn't be hard to make a case for that to be implied. If demons can be commanded out of people with a simple command, how much harder would it be to move a mountain, which technically has no contrary will? But, suffice to say, I don't have the faith that would actually try and move a mountain. On Jesus' principle, I am in no danger of this ever happening to me. However, I also hold that even if I did "believe" that it would happen, it won't. Plenty of people want Harry Potter magic to be real, but it isn't. I don't see the difference.
Now it could be objected that I have placed my strong faith in scientific principles rather than in Jesus' literal statement, which is certainly true. However, I don't think it an easy matter to transfer my faith in science--which is confirmed at many points in my daily experience--and Jesus' statement--which seems ludicrous. If Jesus isn't ludicrous, as I assume (yes, faith again) he isn't, he must have meant something else.
The answer to that question is not what I want to talk about today. Rather, I want to step back for a moment and consider how often we find ourselves faced with faith decisions that seem a lot like "mountain moving theory." It is tempting as a Christian to simply revert to faith whenever I encounter something I don't understand. To me, blind faith often seems to be a cop out, an excuse for not doing our homework (which is usually in the discipline of metaphysics). As an intellectual Christian, I think it is important that we avoid cop outs and rather take our views to the bedrock.
Interestingly, the bedrock is faith. As my reaction to "mountain moving theory" puts me on a trajectory toward less faith, I find myself confronted by the bedrock belief that Christ rose from the dead. If you take death as the absence of life as I do, the idea that something with no existence or life suddenly becomes the most fully alive human being ever to walk the earth is astounding. At this point, I realize how much faith I do have and how important it is.
Does that mean that I am now an adherent to "mountain moving theory?" Well, no. Is that hypocritical of me? I'd like to think not and I think there is integrity in regarding the Resurrection as an anomaly rather than a law. I continue to believe in scientific laws which govern our physical universe; God seems to be able to break them but if he did that all the time they wouldn't be laws anymore. So where have I come in this consideration? Well, I'm not sure, except to realize that my faith--though I pursue as much intellectual rigor as possible in all my beliefs--still depends on simply faith at rock bottom.
I still do wonder what Jesus meant sometimes when he talked about having a childlike faith. I think a childlike faith could imagine a mountain moving and therefore it would be entirely plausible, just like Barney or Spider-Man seem plausible at a certain age. In fact, this is why most people grow up and leave behind their imaginative fantasies. Certainly Jesus is arguing for an infantilization of our minds? Maybe a childlike faith is more like the humility to realize that faith is essential to my human existence given my finitude and the limits of my knowledge. With that in mind, for now I'll say that I don't know.
I definitely think that childlike faith is about realizing that we can't know/understand everything and being able to trust God even when we can't make sense of things ourselves. I don't believe it's an infantilization of our minds, but I think, sometimes, we do just have to trust God. Obviously, use knowledge and science and reason the best you can to make sense of the world around you (all truth is God's truth, after all, and the world works the way it does for a reason), but sometimes I think we do just have to have faith, even if things don't make sense. Admitting that bothers me, to be honest, but what bothers me more is putting my trust in science or reason rather than in God. Again, not entirely comfortable with this conclusion, because, like you said, people do use it as a cop out, so they don't have to think critically.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's my problem, though, that reason is so important to me. Obviously, it's a good thing, but if you have faith without reason, isn't it better than someone who has reason but lacks faith? (honestly, that’s very hard for me to accept sometimes) "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight" (1 Cor 3:19) "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." (Isaiah 29:14) I guess, it still bothers me, because you can't just go blindly accepting everything. But at the same time, sometimes faith doesn't make sense, and maybe, sometimes, that's ok? Just look at 1 Corinthians 1: "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."
I feel like that applies to me, anyway. Maybe I put too much stock in wisdom. While, it’s clearly a good thing, it’s not the best thing (as hard as that is for me to admit). I think we should think critically about what we believe, but sometimes, maybe we do have to believe God can move mountains. Just because people want something to be real doesn’t make it true; you’re right. But just because we don’t think it’s real doesn’t necessarily make it untrue either. Also, I think if you’re questioning whether Christ can rise from the dead, then why call us Christians at all? It is a “stumbling block,” and one that I’m not entirely sure how to deal with. But at the end of the day, if I believe Christ is who he said he is, then I think it’s ok to trust his authority on things that don’t make logical sense. We have to be careful, sure, but I think childlike faith is what we need to have sometimes. I don’t know.
And I just rambled on for a very long time, haha.
I don't understand why you say that even if you had the faith to move a mountain (or do any miracle that you couldn't). If what your saying is that Humans can't do miracles then your right. But miracles happen all the time, everywhere the church is vibrant and challenged by other forces miracles occur. I have tons of missionary friends who have experienced miracles, I would say that I have as well. And this isn't even going into miracles that aren't as obvious, like the fact that Calvin just happened to be the perfect place for me to go etc.
ReplyDeletePlacing your faith in scientific principles has nothing to do with whether miracles can happen. God doesn't break the laws of nature (that he made) when he works a miracle, he simply suspends them and then allows them to absorb the miraculous act. I.E Mary is impregnated miraculously but then nature takes over and a very natural pregnancy and birth occur. The number of miracles you think happen is directly related to how much you think God interacts with the world.
I am somewhat confused are you saying you believe in the most important fundamental miracle but not any of the others? That miracles only occurred in the apostolic age?
I think the faith God demands from us is like a child trusting that even though he can't understand the whole picture his parent is doing the right thing for him in the end. If you try and teach a 5 year old calculus it'll be hopeless and you'll simply leave them very confused. Part of me wonders how like a child we are to God's infinite wisdom. C.S Lewis also talks about the idea of faith being like that of a man hanging off a cliff with 2 hands, if someone wants to save the hanging man he might yell: "Let go with your right hand and grab my arm." To the man suspended over a ravine this might seem ludicrous and if he is cynical, hardened, untrusting (basically an adult) he prob won't grab it. On the other hand if he is trusting, innocent, and in many ways like a child he'll do what is best.
The child who is so quick to believe in spiderman is only stupid if spiderman doesn't exist. If he does the child is ahead of all the adults who won't believe their own eyes because what they have seen contradicts the way they think the world is. Maybe we just need to have faith like a child accepting that we can't fully understand the world and that its ok because someone does.