Big Fat Problems with Christianity: I Can’t Believe in something I Can’t See!
Is seeing believing?
Let me shoot straight right off the bat here: I’m a Christian. So obviously when I say “problems with Christianity”, these are things that the world sees as issues with the Christian religion. I consider them more like difficulties, because Christianity is a difficult religion to live, but I also believe it happens to be true.
Occasionally I talk with people about religion, spirituality, etc. and I’ve found that many of them have the same hang-ups regarding their notions of religious truth. So I figured I’d do a series discussing many of these issues in hopes that it will bring a new perspective to what many people consider to be an antiquated religion. Bear in mind that I’m no theologian; I’m just a guy who has an opinion and wants to help others discover the happiness that I’ve found in a relationship with God.
Parting the Waters
I was working on a construction site with a rather ruckus dude a few years ago and we somehow found ourselves on the fiery topic of religion. He was making the case that there was no way he could believe in something he couldn’t see. The job was on a piece of water front property and he looked out over the water and passionately said “buddy, if you can part that creek I’ll join your church right now!” I thought that was hilarious and we both actually laughed about it, but I think he and I both realized that if I really did part those waters it would not lead to any change in his life at that time. I mean come on, Moses already did his thing and it ultimately made no difference in the lives of The Children of Israel. They all eventually turned away from God anyway.
What does this mean?
It means that seeing God has nothing to do with our eyes but everything to do with our heart. It’s a matter of the will, not of the mind. The world is full of stuff we can’t see but we know is real…..radio waves, cellular signals, the wind, etc. You don’t have to be a metaphysician to accept those things as “real” even though you can't see them. Why is God any different?
But you’re probably thinking ‘Yes, but we can prove that these things exist. I can tune into the radio, I can make a call on my cell phone, I can feel the wind on my skin!’.
This is true, you can prove the existence of these things to another person through empirical evidence. But aren't there things that we accept as real but can't be proven? Like love, for example. We all know love is real, but imagine trying to prove it's existence to someone who didn't believe in it. You can't! One has to experience love first hand in order to know it exists because it's reality cannot be demonstrated. It simply exists.
So in the words of the great Huey Lewis, "Do you believe in Love?"
I would submit that it takes no more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in Love. The problem is that although everyone experiences love, not everyone experiences God.
How can I have this experience?
Let's stick with the love metaphor. They say that love is a verb and I agree. This flies in the face of Hollywood's notion the feeling of love being the foundation of all relationships. If you don’t feel as though you’re particularly ‘in love’ with your spouse at any given time, go out of your way to serve them. This demonstration of real love is sure to produce the desired feeling of being 'in love'. "Love the feeling is the fruit of love the verb”, as Stephen Covey puts it.
I think the same is true with God. I think this is the underlying principle behind Christian statements such as “seek and you will find” and “faith precedes the miracle”. In other words, faith is a verb. It requires action on our part, the strong conviction of the reality of God is only the fruit of our efforts to come to know Him. In my opinion, it's not all that different than any other relationship.
Why does God wait for me to take the first step?
I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with a need for us exercise our free will. Maybe he’s not waiting at all; maybe He’s been there our entire lives there with open arms and we simply haven’t taken the steps to discover it. All I know is that I’ve found this principle to be true in my life…..with my spouse and with God. If you seek, you will find. This is why faith is considered one of the greatest virtues. It requires a step into the darkness without a clue of what you’ll find….but it’s only a step, and the first one is the hardest. The journey becomes more and more illuminated the further you go.
I can tell you that God is real, He knows each of us personally, and loves us unconditionally; all things in my life flow from this truth. I’m convinced that if you seek, you will find. I’m also convinced that if God did make a grand showing to all mankind, it would make no real difference in people’s happiness or level of consciousness. Knowing He exists is one thing, knowing Him is another.
What say you?
