Faith

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Are You Sure?

By Stephen Quinlan

A Sermon for Epiphany



In the 11th century St. Anselm wrote a very famous book entitled "Fides Quaerens Intellectum" - "Faith Seeking Understanding." These may be three of the most important words in human language. It's hard to say which of the three words is the most important. Perhaps it is neither possible nor desirable to decide, but at this particular moment in history, it seems to me that we should focus on the verb: "seeking." If the Christian church as a whole, and my little church in particular, are going to have any relevance in today's world, it will be as hospitable and nurturing environments for seekers. We must be a seekers church. For too long the Christian church has thought and behaved like an exclusive and elite club, whose members possess a special knowledge not available to outsiders. This is not only patently false, it is utterly self-defeating. Non-church people are sometimes heard to say that there is nothing remarkable about church people except for their remarkable hypocrisy. You know, they are not completely wrong. We churchgoers do sometimes give the unfortunate impression that we are something that everybody knows we are not.



The lyrics of a popular song say, "everybody is searching for something." And I think they are. This applies to us church-going types too. It's time for us to " 'fess up " and begin thinking and behaving like the seekers we are.



So, what is it that we are seeking? I think that we are seeking the same things that everybody is. We are seeking peace. We are seeking love and acceptance. We are seeking freedom and forgiveness. We are seeking health and happiness. We are seeking truth and meaning. Just about everybody wants and seeks these things. In this, we Christians are no different. We seek them too.



Now, when we admit that we are seeking these things (and of course you can add to the list) we are just being honest. And we are also admitting that we have not yet found them, or at least have not found them as fully as we wish. Though this may be difficult, it is a wonderful and freeing admission. We have not found. We have not arrived. We are still seeking. We are still on our way. Yes, we have made progress, and we have made discoveries and gained some insight along our way, but we have not arrived. And we are not satisfied.



By coming to church and associating with others who do, we are saying that we think that the things that we are looking for may be about God. And we are saying that one way to seek these things is through faith. This gets at what I really want to say this morning. Faith is no great mystery. Faith is just a way of seeking. It is nothing more than that.



I think we sometimes have some pretty mixed up ideas about faith, and we make it a much bigger problem than it needs to be. So let's think about faith for a bit.



First, let’s say what faith is not. Faith is not magic or mystical mumbo-jumbo. It is not unwarranted credulity. It's not something like following astrology, reading Tarot cards, or calling up TV fortune-tellers. Faith is not this. And faith is not wishful thinking, or even positive thinking. Sometimes people say, "you've gotta have faith," meaning, you should be optimistic and think that everything will turn out all right, even if it seems bad that the moment. I'm all for optimism, and I think that being positive is a lot better than being gloomy, but this is not faith.



Neither is faith the same as certainty. If somebody were to ask me, "Do you believe in God?" I would say without hesitation, “Yes, I definitely do.” I not only believe in God's existence, but I try to trust God with my life. But, if that person then asked me, "Are you sure?" "I mean, are you certain that God exists?" In all honesty, I would have to say "No." I am not certain. Now, don't get too excited. I just said that I firmly believe it. But I must admit I am not certain, at least not in the same way that I'm certain that 2+2 = 4 or that I need air and food and water to live.



In 1637, the French philosopher René Descartes set out to "prove" the existence of God. Descartes was deeply impressed by the certainty and regularity exhibited by mathematics - especially geometry. In his "Discourse On Method," he wanted to use the elegant logic of geometry to establish with mathematical certainty that God exists. Using the "scientific" method of a sequence of steps and arguments and demonstrations, he tried to create a "proof" for God in the same way that a mathematician creates a proof for a theorem. In my view, Descartes failed. He demonstrates that it is reasonable, even logical to believe in God, but he "proved" nothing, except "cogito ergo sum" "I think, therefore I exist." Descartes became known as the Father of modern scientific method, but as fart as I can tell he didn't do anything for the cause of faith – except confuse it with the idea of certainty.



To believe and to trust is about being convinced, persuaded, even confident, but it is not about being certain or absolutely positive. You can have faith and still be full of questions. You can believe and trust, and still have uncertainties and doubts. Faith does not put an end to questioning. In fact, faith is a particular way of questioning!



So, we are right back where we began. Faith is seeking. It is a reaching out with the heart and mind toward God. Faith is stepping out into what we don't fully understand. Sometimes we just put a toe in the water; sometimes we take a giant leap. Faith is acting on the promises and commands of God, as we understand them, trusting that God will validate and confirm my faithful actions. Faith is stretching myself into a dimension of reality that cannot be proven in any scientific or mathematical way. We do this because we think that science and mathematics don't hold all the answers and cannot finally offer us the things we are seeking. Faith is not the application of logic, though it is logical. It is not the result of reasoning, though it is reasonable to have faith. So René Descartes notwithstanding, faith is not being sure or certain. It is seeking, questioning, hoping, and trusting.



So, let me put it to you this way. Are you uncertain of God or of Jesus Christ? Do you trust, but with reluctance or hesitation? Are you full questions? Do you have your doubts? Are there some things in Christianity that you find really hard to swallow? But, do you still try to reach out with your heart? Do you still want to worship and serve and learn? Then you are a seeker. And you have faith – real faith – faith enough to follow the Lord. And church is the place for you, or at least that is what it ought to be. As we begin a new year, let us began as seekers. Let us say, as the apostle said, "It is not that I have already attained, or a that I am already perfect. But I do this one thing – I press on toward the mark, toward the prize, toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus my Lord." Amen.

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