The difficulty of believing is a challenge that is always
present in the spiritual journey of the Christian. At times it is a pronounced difficulty, brought
about by tragedy or doubt.
There are guiding principles that have been established
to help the “traveler” maintain course. These
are essential and cannot be dispensed with any more than a map in foreign city
can be thrown away.
Before we look carefully at the map, we need first to
understand the need for the map. There is
something mysterious about this. Men
have a particular need for navigating without a compass. Even with unknown guideposts they will press ahead
as if they know exactly where they are going. As we apply this analogy for our Christian religion
it becomes a script, a guide to explain our behavior.
Many people have the idea that Faith is merely a matter
of opinions.
“About religion, one man’s opinion
is as good as another. Admittedly there are
some religious “systems” that do not claim to be anything more than a set of
opinions. Curiously the ancient druids
and paganism in general do not offer much in terms of explanation. They simply examined nature. One of the great
scenes of English Church History took place during the period of missionary
work in which Jesus was introduced in the teaching of the Gospel to the
Anglo-Saxon king: “Coifi, the High Priest, replied without hesitation: ‘Your Majesty, let us give careful
consideration to this new teaching, for I frankly admit that, in my experience,
the religion that we have hitherto professed seems valueless and powerless.
Another of the king’s chief men
signified his agreement with this prudent argument, and went on to say: ‘Your
Majesty, when we compare the present life of man with that time of which we have
no knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight of a lone sparrow through
the banquet hall where you sit in the winter months to dine with your thanes
and counselors. Inside there is a comforting
fire to warm the room; outside, the wintry storms of snow and rain are rising. The sparrow flies swiftly in through one door
of the hall and out through another. While he is inside, he is safe from the
wintry storms; but for a few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight into the
darkness whence he came.
Similarly, man appears on earth
for a little while, but we know nothing of what went before this life, or what
follows. Therefore if this new teaching can reveal any more certain knowledge
it seems only right that we follow it.”
The History of the English Church and People, by the Venerable Bede
(612 AD)
