Fearless Faith

Finding good help these days can be difficult. Not the domestic notion kind of help that is cast deep in fiction and culture, but the good friend help where one person stands by and with you when challenges arise. Often it is a spouse or significant other fulfilling the charge. Sometimes the best help comes as a surprise that results in true grace and encouragement for the soul. On rare occasions it arrives by committee.

Opening the door to that help is a tough call for many people, Christian and non-Christian alike. A degree of humility is required. Therein lies the rub as our culture tends to discourage vulnerable behaviors. How often in church settings do parishioners silently nod their heads in agreement because they know that to ask questions is to invite scrutiny? Worse, scripture can be used to put people in their place, to win theological battles, and to metaphorically capture the flag at the top of the hill. Too often it is as much about church leadership as it is about the The Word. If that is the M.O., then it is time to change how we share the gospel.

It’s been said that there are actually people of faith that pay attention to what is happening around them, people who are willing to listen and observe and ask deep questions! Although that sentiment is somewhat tongue in cheek, the reality of the pandemic layered with political upheaval and cultural distress is nonetheless real. While most churches cannot use the pulpit or their particular church organization to promote political views, church is by nature a political animal. Where will we draw the line?

When we are disposed to no longer budge, it should come as no surprise that one person’s hard line becomes another’s nemesis. For every faith position taken, its opposite can be argued, almost without fail. That is tough to acknowledge for churches claiming to have every answer to every question. Even a casual reading of scripture results in interpretive study that is best embarked on with others. Once again, a solid friend or two can make all the difference whether we squander the interpretive spirit called for in scripture or whether we are merely content to be spoon fed.

What are your absolutes? Have they changed over time? What role have good friends played in your journey? It can be shocking to grow into new understandings that require courage as well. The late modern day theologian Marcus Borg was unapologetic in sharing his observation that whether or not there was an actual bodily resurrection of Jesus remained incidental to his (Borg’s) faith. Similarly, Presbyterian scholar John Shelby Spong set himself up for critique by reflecting, “God loves us already and has from our very beginning. The Christian life is not about believing or doing what we need to believe or do so that we can be saved.” Tackling either one of those statements requires reading them in context, unlike the many casual treatments that we are inclined to apply to ancient scripture.

A little help is always welcome in that process. Who are your companions along the way? Who do you trust to ask good questions and listen intently for answers? Good friends and good help are truth tellers, reality testers, patient listeners who are slow to speak yet wise. When you discover that help, intentionally or by chance encounter, seize the opportunity. It might even change your life.