I Believe

In order to kick start the weekend in a positive manner, my wife and I bought a few large take-and-bake pizzas for dinner, while we watched Legends of the Guardians on DVD with the kids. It was a wonderful movie, and a great family bonding experience.

What caught my attention in particular, was the protagonist's belief in the heroic lore shared by his father, of the 'Guardian' owls who defended the weak, lifted up the downtrodden and defeated evil in years past. There wasn't any visible proof that these epic beings ever existed, but our hero believed in them, even though he had never seen them. Although his beliefs were tested, his faith prevailed in the end. The Lord also calls us to walk by faith, and not by what we see in this world.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (New Living Translation)

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

So, what's stopping us from living a faith-filled life? Perhaps if we take a step backward and analyze some truths about growing up within our Western culture, things will become a little more clear. At the very least, it will give you something to think about.

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

I'm not trying to pick on any of these characters, but the root of disbelief may actually stem from some of these innocent childhood favorites, if not handled in a healthy way. At Christmas, we may have learned about the birth of Jesus. But to be frank, the lion's share of our attention (and retail marketing) likely went towards Santa Claus and his bag of gifts (the real Saint Nicholas). During Easter, the Easter Bunny, colored eggs and chocolate most likely took center stage (instead of pondering the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord). Lose a tooth, and a fairy exchanges the bicuspid for a quarter.

While celebrating tradition isn't necessarily a bad thing (yes, we have a couple of kids in our home who still believe in the crimson-clad jolly one), we need to carefully consider what happens to our childrens' belief system when the truth eventually comes out about the existence of these characters. What happens when our children find out that Santa, as they know him, isn't real? What about the Easter Bunny? The Tooth Fairy? While nothing on the surface is likely visible after the reveal, each "layer" of exposure to believing in something, only to have it disproved, begins to erode their sense of faith and harden their hearts.

Now, throw God into the mix. Here is another pillar in a child's life, who can't be seen, but is assured "to be there". But how do they know? If all of the other heroes of kid-dom have proven false, what would give them cause to truly believe in God? This is further compounded if we're not living as wholesome, Godly examples for them. If we're not reading the Bible to them, or sharing our faith with them. Or, if we're not loving them. Those poor, misguided children!

We are our parent's children. How damaged are we, and what do we really believe?

While we can't see God, there are fingerprints of His handiwork all over creation. I could never explain how a small mammal could conceivably lay a Cadbury egg, however I can certainly appreciate the intelligent engineering that went into creating the planet Earth. It's perfectly positioned within the Solar System to provide the ideal conditions for life; something scientists spend millions of dollars and man-hours trying to find anyplace else. While it's true that reindeer cannot fly, there is no mistaking the masterful detail that God invested in forming men and women. Even if fairies are a farce, I'm certain that miracles can and do happen, and chance meetings with long lost family and friends aren't always a coincidence.

I believe in Jesus.

Good Night