“Standing on the shoulders of giants”

Events such as the earthquake in Haiti can not only be disastrous to human life but they can also be disastrous to faith in God. Some find it difficult to reconcile such events with their image of God. Personal tragedy also can have the same effect of engendering so much doubt that it is impossible to continue believing. Our faith can be eroded when our prayers seem to remain unanswered. How many prayers, for instance, have been offered for peace between Israel and Palestine, yet the conflict continues? Some have lost their faith because of what they see happening in the church (disregarding denomination). They find it difficult to reconcile the behaviour of its members with their role as representing God. They overlook the fact that the church exists for people with failings (the other word is “sinners”). There are also those who fail to see that the church and its teachings about God have any relevance in their life. They can manage very well without resorting to any kind of acknowledgment of the existence of God. They see no need to go to church. It does nothing for them.

Much of this is due to the understanding people have of God. It hasn’t developed since they were a child. When St Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth he said:

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child,”

(1 Cor. Ch 13 vs.11)

We are well aware of the truth of these words and the need to “grow up”. We develop our understanding of the world and of the moral issues facing society. Unfortunately we do not always appreciate the need to develop our understanding of God. We allow it to remain static, perhaps it would be more accurate to say ‘become stagnant’. So God remains as the God of our youth; A God who rewards us when we are good and punishes us when we are naughty. A God who can be manipulated with promises such as: “If you help me pass this exam I will go to church”.

As we read the accounts of Man’s developing relationship with God in the Old Testament we can see how it changes. God and Abraham is different from God and Moses and is different again from God and Jeremiah. That relationship develops further as we look at God and Mary (the mother of Jesus), God and the crucified Christ and God and St Paul. God remains the same but the relationship with mankind changes. Man’s understanding has been maturing, growing up.