Paul and Jesus talk a lot about faith. It's referred to many times as a standard that Christians should stride towards. I find it interesting that so few people talk in terms of faith. Instead they talk in terms of certainty.
I would like to highlight the difference (or at least the difference in how I'm referring to them). Certainty deals with provable, predictable facts. I am certain that the earth revolves around the sun on a 365 (and some change) day cycle. I can say this because it is testable and predictable. However, faith deals with the opposite. It deals with things that aren't testable. I have faith that a loving God exists and that I am somehow connected to Him/Her/It. I cannot prove this. But it's something I have faith in.
Certainty leads to an arrogance that draws lines in the sand. In a religious setting, it's often a separator between you and anyone who doesn't look like you. Faith tends leads to an understanding of how you could totally be wrong and in that ability to understand that you could wrong, you should extend grace to others because you don't have it all figured out anymore than the next person. This is offering them room to find their own faith. Offering insight and advice when sought. But mostly just giving them space, friendship and love.
Right now there are HUGE discussions going on in churches around the country about homosexuality, what is hell, how to read the Bible and any number of other things. You see people struggling to reconcile the beliefs they were brought up to have with these huge boulders of doubt that life throws at them. They need people to supportive them and give them that space, friendship and love to find their own relationship to God. They need people of faith. But instead they have people of certainty. People who are so certain that they have God figured out that they decry everyone who doesn't view God and faith through their terms. They will claim that they are just going by what the Bible says. They claim the Bible is the source of their certainty. The problem is that they really believe THEIR view of the bible is correct. But they are unable to see that there's a possibility that maybe God doesn't view the Bible the same as them. I've heard many of these certain types of people say that they don't have a view on the Bible and that they are taking it for what it says. THAT IS A VIEW OF THE BIBLE!!! I don't mean to yell, but anytime someone comes to any conclusion on the meaning of something it is an interpretation. You are reading it through your lens of reality and can no more claim certainty than anyone else. So when you hold firm to your interpretation of scripture and you are willing to cut others out, rebuke them, engage in bullying techniques in order to force people to look, think, act, believe as you do, you aren't upholding God. You are upholding your view of God. You are upholding your interpretation of the Bible.
So how do we handle it? How should we handle these disagreements? Maybe start by understanding that our beliefs are just that...OURS and may not necessarily be that of God's. Instead of acting in the certainty of our beliefs, act in faith by extending the hand of friendship, acceptance, love and grace to those around you.
I would like to highlight the difference (or at least the difference in how I'm referring to them). Certainty deals with provable, predictable facts. I am certain that the earth revolves around the sun on a 365 (and some change) day cycle. I can say this because it is testable and predictable. However, faith deals with the opposite. It deals with things that aren't testable. I have faith that a loving God exists and that I am somehow connected to Him/Her/It. I cannot prove this. But it's something I have faith in.
Certainty leads to an arrogance that draws lines in the sand. In a religious setting, it's often a separator between you and anyone who doesn't look like you. Faith tends leads to an understanding of how you could totally be wrong and in that ability to understand that you could wrong, you should extend grace to others because you don't have it all figured out anymore than the next person. This is offering them room to find their own faith. Offering insight and advice when sought. But mostly just giving them space, friendship and love.
Right now there are HUGE discussions going on in churches around the country about homosexuality, what is hell, how to read the Bible and any number of other things. You see people struggling to reconcile the beliefs they were brought up to have with these huge boulders of doubt that life throws at them. They need people to supportive them and give them that space, friendship and love to find their own relationship to God. They need people of faith. But instead they have people of certainty. People who are so certain that they have God figured out that they decry everyone who doesn't view God and faith through their terms. They will claim that they are just going by what the Bible says. They claim the Bible is the source of their certainty. The problem is that they really believe THEIR view of the bible is correct. But they are unable to see that there's a possibility that maybe God doesn't view the Bible the same as them. I've heard many of these certain types of people say that they don't have a view on the Bible and that they are taking it for what it says. THAT IS A VIEW OF THE BIBLE!!! I don't mean to yell, but anytime someone comes to any conclusion on the meaning of something it is an interpretation. You are reading it through your lens of reality and can no more claim certainty than anyone else. So when you hold firm to your interpretation of scripture and you are willing to cut others out, rebuke them, engage in bullying techniques in order to force people to look, think, act, believe as you do, you aren't upholding God. You are upholding your view of God. You are upholding your interpretation of the Bible.
So how do we handle it? How should we handle these disagreements? Maybe start by understanding that our beliefs are just that...OURS and may not necessarily be that of God's. Instead of acting in the certainty of our beliefs, act in faith by extending the hand of friendship, acceptance, love and grace to those around you.
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