I fear that my readers may come to believe that I never have an original idea. Half-jokingly, I have spoken of MadPriest as my blogging muse, but now, to my dismay, I seem to be trapped in a cycle of using his material as a jumping-off spot for many of my posts.
After reading his wonderful sermon for the Third Sunday Before Lent, I was thinking about how and what I believe about the stories in the Bible.
Brideshead Revisited is one of my favorite books, one that I read over and over. It's a Catholic novel with a capital "C". Since I spent the first 60 years of my life in the Roman Catholic Church, I feel at home in the book
The book is set in the time between the two World Wars and into WWII. As the story begins two young men, Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, meet and become friends at Oxford University. Sebastian's family is of the English Roman Catholic aristocracy, while Charles is agnostic.
Sebastian and Charles have the following conversation about religion:
Sebastian: “Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic!”
Charles: “Does it make much difference to you?”
Sebastian: “Of course. All the time.”
Charles: “Well, I can’t say I’ve noticed it. Are you struggling against temptation? You don’t seem much more virtuous than me.”
Sebastian: “I’m very, very much wickeder,” said Sebastian indignantly.
.
Charles: “… I suppose they try to make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”
Sebastian: “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.”
Charles: “But my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”
Sebastian: “Can’t I?”
Charles: “I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass.”
Sebastian: Oh yes. I believe that. It’s a lovely idea.”
Charles: “But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea.”
Sebastian: “But I do. That’s how I believe.” (pp. 81–83)
I love this passage, because Sebastian expresses how I believe, too. There are stories in the Bible that are so right, and true, and lovely, that, in my mind and heart, I say, "Yes!" The Nativity story is one of them.
There are those who would say, like Charles, that you can't believe something because it's a lovely idea. They'd say that's nonsensical and irrational. But, indeed, that's how I believe.
Now I understand that the stories may not be literally true as recounted, but they're nonetheless true in the sense that they express eternal truths. To me, the stories are full of grace, and what is grace but God's loving call to draw closer. They are, indeed, God's living word.
I'm going to simplify, mangle, paraphrase and utterly misrepresent a discussion that has been going on over at Andrew Sullivan's blog that has got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe very fact that something may appear beyond reason and yet speaks so clearly requires doubt. Is faith what happens when you plant the doubt and what speaks together?
BJ
BJ, you didn't give a link to the discussion at Sullivan's blog, so I don't know what it's about.
ReplyDeleteIn no way am I qualified to give advice on the faith. What I can do is share my own faith, and how I deal with the hills and valleys of the Christian pilgrimage.
Regarding doubt, I've found that it's best for me to embrace the doubt rather than try to run from it or deny it. It doesn't just go away. In fact, it seems to fester and grow when I attempt ignore it or deny it.
I embrace the doubt, allow it into my mind and heart; I wrestle with it. I pray about it and ask God to show me the way. I talk about it with others who share the faith, expecially those whose opinions I respect as being wise.
It's not by accident that we speak of "the leap of faith". I find that coming to faith and walking in faith is somewhat like leaping off a cliff, trusting that someone is down there to give me a soft landing.
Others come to faith in different ways. God loves us all, and he knows us all, and his call comes in different ways, because each of us is unique. He knew us before we were born, while we were yet in our mothers' wombs.
He reaches out with love to each of in the very place where we can meet him.
Amen, Grace. There's "fact" and there's "truth." Something can describe truth without being a fact.
ReplyDeleteI react to the Nativity story the same way as you.
At Christmastime, a TV show had Elaine Pagels and other experts talking about the Nativity "story." I just put my hands over my ears and said "Nanny-nanny-boo-boo, I'm not going to hear this at Christmastime. Give me my shepherds and angels and wise men and the whole bit, thank you."
The Nativity story expresses truth. Whether or not it was embellished in the telling diminishes it not in the least!
I see no reason not to take the feeding of the 5,000 as real. As MP said, for Jesus it wasn't even a miracle. Yet some of the proof-texters want to reduce it all to the mundane -- "Oh, members of the crowd had fish in their pocket they pulled out," etc., they'll tell you.
Balderdash. It was Jesus.
There's "fact" and there's "truth." Something can describe truth without being a fact.
ReplyDeletePat, yes, that's very well put.
If someone could prove to me that Jesus was not God - which cannot be done - or even prove that Jesus never existed, I would still want to live my life according to the way of the Gospel, because I see it as the true and right way to live a life.
Same for me Grandmere -- even if it is all made up I still believe it.
ReplyDeleteAnd re: doubt -one friend said in a sermon - enter into doubt --- fall into God.
It IS a lovely idea, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteWanted you to know that I'm praying for all of you this morning. May God guide the judge---and the ex-wife's heart---in the right direction.
And re: doubt -one friend said in a sermon - enter into doubt --- fall into God.
ReplyDeleteAnn, that's a wise friend. I'm going to remember that.
Mimi, that's been one of my favorite literary passages since i first read it in high school. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteScott, I'm pleased there's another admirer out there. Great minds and all that.
ReplyDeleteI've never read this book, but that is exactly how i believe too.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mags
Mags, you may want to give it a try, or you may not. As I said, it's a very Roman Catholic book.
ReplyDelete