2nd Sunday Service, Parish of Christchurch, 8th October 2006
Genesis 12: 1-4a; John 20:19-29
What do we mean when we say ‘I believe’? In a moment we’re going to say the Apostle’s Creed together and there are three ‘I believe’s in it: ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty… I believe in Jesus Christ… [and] I believe in the Holy Spirit’ These are pretty big ‘I believe’s, so it’s important for us to know what we mean when we say ‘I believe’.
Recently, whenever I hear the story of Abram and Sarai upping sticks and moving to Canaan, I can’t help thinking about programmes on tv about people doing the same kind of thing, be it to France or Spain, or even further afield to Australia or New Zealand.
Their reasons for going are often the same, better weather, better lifestyle, be it for themselves or for their children. But I haven’t as yet heard anybody say when they’re being asked why they’re moving somewhere where they don’t speak the language, “Well, do you know, actually God’s telling us to move’.
But that’s exactly what Abram understands as happening. ‘Abram went, as the LORD had told him.’ No ifs, no buts, they go. Not only do they believe in God, not as just a theoretical, if abstract, idea, “I believe that God exists”; more crucially they are prepared to accept that God wants to get involved in their actual living. They’re prepared to dramatically alter the course of their lives, believing in Him in the sense of trusting in Him. That He, God, is trustworthy. That if He’s called us to go, then that’s what we should do because He, in spite of what others may say, and you can imagine what the neighbours were saying at the time, He knows what’s best for us. And it’s for that reason that down the ages, the story of their leaving for Canaan has been held up as an example of faith. The English word creed comes from the old Latin word Credo, but in the old sense of the word was the notion of belief as trust. If you like, faith is a latte of belief with a double espresso of trust thrown in. No espresso and it’s just frothy milk. Not really worth drinking. With the espresso it is. Maybe not the best analogy in the world, but hey!
But to be honest, I don’t know if you find the same thing but this story of Abram and Sari is an example of faith as belief that trusts that hasn’t quite got inside of me. It’s beginning to, but nowhere near as much as the story of Thomas. I love Thomas. Why? Well, I often have the feeling of turning up late, of missing the main event, be it ordinary or spiritual. And that’s exactly what happened to Thomas. The disciples are huddled up, scared witless, doors locked, Thomas goes out, we don’t know why, but whilst he’s out, Jesus shows up, raised from the dead and gives the others the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thomas’ reaction, when he’s told, is entirely reasonable. “Unless I see the mark of his nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ I will not only not believe the veracity of what you say, I won’t trust you, I won’t trust your words. You are no longer trustworthy, you guys, if you’re going to say this kind of thing.
A week goes by. A whole week! Anyway, Jesus appears and offers up his wounds for Thomas’ inspection. When Jesus reveals himself to Thomas it is by his wounds, his brokenness that Thomas is convinced of the truth of it all. Not just that Jesus is alive but who he truly is, ‘My Lord and my God.’ Thomas isn’t just believing in something. He’s believing and trusting in someone, in Jesus.
So how do we move from belief in an idea to belief and trust in a person, and crucially trust in God? Well, I think there’s a spiritual truth that we can see revealed in our own relationships. It’s when we fess up to our own hurts, vulnerabilities, weakenesses, brokenness, and it’s mutual, a two way thing, that that’s when the relationship really deepens. And the key thing is the same goes for our relationship with God. One of the essential insights of the Christian faith is that God reveals Himself in the weakness, in the woundedness of Jesus. And when we respond with honesty, not pretending to be other than we truly are, then our relationship between us and God deepens. And it’s all about relationship. Our relationship with God as experienced through prayer and reading Scripture on the one hand, yes, but also our relationship with God as experienced through shared vulnerabilities with our families, our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and those to whom we are neighbours on the other.
When we learn to see Jesus in the wounds and brokenness of others and they in our vulnerabilities, then our relationship deepens, not only with each other but also with God. When we draw closer together in vunerablity we draw closer to God. And we find ourselves moving from belief to trust. Trust between ourselves and trusting God. For finally, when we think of it in terms of trust, then we realise that it isn’t the quality of our belief that matters, but the trustworthiness of the person in whom we believe. And sometimes in our own relationships that can sometimes fall down. But in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we see that God the Father is entirely trustworthy, no matter the outward appearance, no matter how bleak we perceive the situation to be. And that is Good News! Amen.