Saturday, May 16, 1998
Saturday, May 16, 1998
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
(John 14:1
NRSV)
In the opening line of the Apostles Creed, that little word "in." In the Creed I do not say that I
believe that God exists. I say simply, "I believe in God." There is a great difference here--the
difference between belief as fact or idea and belief as commitment. We can see the difference
immediately if we put it in another context. If I say that "I believe that Michele is a good person,"
I mean simply that I have the impression that she is a good person. On the other hand, if I say, "I
believe in Michele." I am saying that I know her character well enough that I trust her and am
willing to commit myself to her.
Similarly, when I say, "I believe in God..." I am not saying that I know all about God. Christian
Faith means that I believe that I have come to know God's character in such a way that I am
willing to put my trust in God.
True faith in God isn't easy. If some of us have come to believe in God, it has only been after a
stiff struggle with our doubts. I do not think that Christians should ignore their doubts. I think we
all ought to bring our doubts out into the open and deal with them honestly. I believe that doubt
is a prerequisite to a genuine faith. Without doubt, we would be liable to fall for any wild scheme
that comes our way.
I heard a story of a man who visited a saintly monk on a secluded island. He asked the monk,
"Do you still wrestle with the devil?" "Not any longer, my child," replied the godly man, "I have
grown old and he has grown old with me. He does not have the strength. I now wrestle with
God." "With God!" exclaimed the man with astonishment. "And you hope to win?" "No,"
answered the monk.. "I hope to lose."
Our call is to lose ourselves and believe in God.
Prayer: God of all, as I move through the days you've given me, may I grow more like
you and less like myself. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA