We return to one of the major issues of theology – faith. For some eras in history faith was about the only factor that kept society on an even keel. Life was so hard in so many ways that only some faith in some sustaining spiritual future objective held or mesmerized the larger human mass. Often without leadership and direction that faith would take odd turns for the ordinary folks in the countryside, gaining oddities (like snake handling, witch hunts, even voodoo) in culture as the neglected peoples often looked toward some frontier to escape the problems of life. Those problems included warfare, decimating illnesses, poverty – even failed relationships (persons living in tension contexts). One historian in reflecting on society wrote that if modern persons were dropped down in London in Shakespeare’s era the first verbal response would be: It stinks. The odor from filth was that bad in population centers. History that moves toward the people, and away from the powerful, royalty, wealthy, finds life for the masses as living on the edge. Even so, citizens coped in life, with narrowed life averages, little formal education, or upward mobility. Religions holding out hope, for the hereafter if not for currency, tended to gain attention and influence for distressed people. Faith helped them cope. Even the young Lincoln saw no upward opportunity except through either clergy or law. He chose law, so to acknowledge his uncertainty about religion. Even so, in the time of Lincoln there had already occurred social improvement. Mankind pushed for more. Most citizens in his lifetime were related, in some way, to agriculture with much labor and little income. Lincoln rejected the option, launching his adult life without formal education or wealth.
Society appears to be somewhat superstitious about faith. When something goes wrong, as is the case in recessional economies (through which the world is functioning at the time of this writing), reporters talk about the loss of faith but they fail to describe or analyze what they have introduced. They do not tell the public what that faith is, why important, and how to make it practical. It remains mysterious. There is an engendered fear that it may be lost and enemies of freedom will seize upon it, using unwanted means to hold their positions of privilege. So faith is to be transferred to leaders who presume they are competent, but may bumble along. The public becomes dysfunctional, unsure of their voting. Faith is weakened.
When faith is weakened or lost, problems multiply. Without faith a majority of the married couples would not sleep together in the same room, for fear of some reprisal. Without faith, children sometimes withhold from their parents, respect and obedience. Without faith, some would burn their country’s flag, resist modern social controls, generally acting in unsocial (negative modeling) behavior. When Scripture accents faith in God as a basic principle, some say it is unscientific, without adequacy – so go the put-downs. The burden rests on faith or the lack of it. What is available to us without faith? In what direction do we turn? Logic and faith seem to Christians to be colleagues. Together they go beyond nature’s logic forms.
My friends in science believe we should have faith in science, and we do – up to a point. That faith is a factor to which I must give serious thought. For example, mankind is currently using up nature’s resources at an alarming rate. I am told not to worry – science will discover ways to make up for depletion. What a leap of faith that is. How can research provide replacements for the needs of a population greatly exceeding present numbers, and living longer in a finite context? In the debate, faith in God for the care of mankind, in partnership with mankind, seems to be a more hopeful route. By that dependence on the one who put us here, by sharing the bounty of earth with responsibility, and by commitment to advance the creation in its magnificence, but also with its limitations, there will be solutions for earth life as long as God determines to maintain it. Therein is survival for humanity if God chooses. In my view life is the most significant evidence to us that God exists. We may suppose that the material earth arrived through this or that theory, but getting it here, who planted the seed of life? From that perception, who offered the highest position for life in mankind? It is life like unto God’s and if so is found immortal in some context. There appears to be destiny for all, some in God’s kingdom and some elsewhere. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020