Why the concept of faith is still so relevant today

ICONFESS to being a bit of a rationalist. I love apologetic arguments for the Christian faith. I’m attracted to philosophical debate and, lastly, I have had a lifelong interest in the interface of science and religion, hence my involvement in promoting the TV/ DVD series The God Question.

I am also involved with Grasping The Nettle, an organisation committed to exploring and sharing the Christian worldview.

Yet for many people the starting point is not argumentation but openness and yearning for something bigger than themselves.

In the midst of this pandemic I am noticing a renewed interest in spiritual things and an unexpected and often surprisingly positive response to messages posted from church representatives. It seems that “faith” is still important.

Sceptics might say that this is nothing more than a knee-jerk response by panic-stricken people in the midst of a crisis. There may be truth in this but I disagree that the concept of “faith” is childish or irrelevant to human living and wellbeing. As in all things it is not the quality or quantity of faith itself that matters but the object of that faith.

At this Easter time and in the midst of this pandemic the rational justification for faith is secondary, at least in the short term.

Let us rejoice in the power of the Christian proclamation to bring hope to those who hear it. Yes we are to love God with our “mind” as well as our hearts and it will be the case that rational argumentation will in time help solidify and firm up the faith of those who experience the life-changing presence of God during this crisis.

However, at this moment in time let’s thank God that we humans are not like the fictional character Spock (a Vulcan) in the TV series Star Trek who can only engage in “logical” things. The Gospel is

The Gospel is primarily a medicine for the heart and the soul … the intellect often follows afterwards

primarily a medicine for the heart and the soul … the intellect often follows afterwards.

Florence Chadwick was the first female to swim the English

Channel in both directions. In 1952, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the Californian coast, a distance of 26 miles. Unfortunately, after 16 hours in the water and with only one mile to go she gave up. At the press conference she explained: “If only I could have seen the shore.” Two months later in similar conditions she swam again, this time beating the male record for the crossing by two hours. The key to her success was imagining the “shore” in her mind as she swam through the darkness.

There is a lesson here for us about faith. It was Corrie ten

Boom, a survivor of Ravensbruck Concentration camp who said “Faith is the radar which sees through the fog”.

The Apostle Paul famously wrote:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed….

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.

– 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9, 18.

The Easter experience which

Paul shared with the other early followers of Jesus was the foundation of his hope and the source for these words of challenge and comfort.

May these words resonate with us this Easter and in the midst of this pandemic.

Agenda is a column for outside contributors.

Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk