Faith

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I am a reader of 'Christianity' magazine. They have been running a series in which they ask for contributions from people on why they are, or indeed are not, Christians. It has been very interesting and I thought I might like to throw in my two pence on the matter, and share it with you.

There is a short answer to this question and a much longer answer to this question. The short answer is incredibly simple. I am a Christian because I chose to accept the offer of forgiveness provided by Jesus and to seek to give my life to him at the tender age of 8. I had grown up in a Christian family and regularly attended Sunday school. At that time I considered God to be the perfect Father figure, and the thought that Christ had died for me was overwhelming. That was love on a grand scale!

But of course I was very young. Some may argue I was indoctrinated, even if only subtly. After all every child wants to feel loved beyond all measure (I hasten to add, perhaps for any psychologists reading this, that I felt abundantly loved by my wonderful parents so it was not as if God’s love filled a void!).

But I am 22 now. I am certainly a more mature, though by no means a perfect, Christian. Hard times have been felt. God’s love has not always felt present in the way it did when I was young. Furthermore at 8 years old I pretty much believed God was a truth that everybody eventually learnt. There couldn’t actually be any real objection to God, could there? Everything was simple-God created the world in 6 days, much like a sculpture creates a work of art. Adam and Eve sinned resulting in the fall of man. I was part of that fallen world which Christ came to in order to redeem. That was the history of the world, simple as.

But I’ve come to realise it’s not, of course, that simple. The universe is not a small place. It’s vast. If scientists are to be believed, and I see no reason not to believe them, the universe is some 17 billion years old. All of a sudden the Biblical story, particularly of creation and Adam and Eve all seemed a little petty. Rather too simplistic really.

When I look back now, I see a remarkable blend of continuity and evolution in my Christian thinking. In many ways it still is remarkably simple. Christ did die for me. He does love me beyond all measure. But so much of the periphery has changed. The simple beliefs of my childhood-they were easy. Real Christian living is an immense challenge. But it’s also hugely exciting.

I guess the real question is, then, why am I still a Christian? Why have I not, like so many millions of others, been thrown off course by all the world has taught me? Why have those things which have turned others away, such as scientific discoveries, the existence of other religions, biblical criticism etc... not also turned me away?

C.S Lewis once said ‘I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else’. And this is my experience too. Belief in a God who is the Ground of Being, the Source of Love, Goodness, Justice and Compassion resonates so well with life lived in its entirety, a life of simplicity and complexity, of joy and sorrow, of unity and diversity, of hope and despair. Belief in God is the best fit in a world of multiple dimensions, a materialist world, yes, but also an emotionally filled, intellectually stimulatingly and spiritually fulfilling world. And that simple but profound truth that Christ died out of love for me and a desire to redeem the created order appeals to all those facets of my life-the physical, the intellectual, the emotional and the spiritual. And I, unlike many atheists I come across, consider all those dimensions of life to be of equal worth and importance, to each contain compelling reasons for living and believing. The truth is, then, that following Christ, wherever it may lead is a mysteriously compelling and exciting life to lead. Christ said ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’. I want to live life to the full!

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