Which Came First?

The chicken or the egg?

When it comes to things of the Spirit, the question becomes: Do I understand in order to believe? Or, do I believe in order to understand? There is a difference. Think about it. Which comes first: faith or reason. In a world of scientific discovery, reason and logic rule supreme. Prove it and I’ll believe it. Prove it and it is true. But theology doesn’t work that way. What can be proved about God? So, many people walk away from religion because there is no empirical evidence, no proof. At the same time, others say faith doesn’t require proof…I guess that’s why it’s called Faith.

But while some of us are debating the question as if it is the most important issue in the world, people are walking away from the conversation and labeling it all “irrelevant”. A recent study by the Pew Foundation, reported widely in news broadcasts, projects that, if trends continue as they are today, by the year 2070, Christianity will claim about 37% of the U.S. population. Two decades will make a huge difference. And some people would say that a large part of the contributing factors in this decline is the matter of relevance. The “chicken-egg” debate is of some interest, but does it address the realities of living in a volatile, violent world?

The answer to this dilemma is to sit down with the one for whom Christianity was named and to ask: “Where did we go wrong?” And I think it’s likely that we will hear: when passion became power, when compassion became control, when self-sacrifice became self-interest. Perpetuating the program is not the first work of the church or religious institutions. It’s about people. All about people. Let’s put away the podiums of debate about who is right and who is wrong. In their place, let’s issue bowls and towels. While riding my bike yesterday I turned a corner to find a homeless woman stretched out across the path. She appeared to be unconscious, but in a moment she opened her eyes and adjusted the ragged clothes she wore. It was a frightening, sad moment. What was I to do? So, I asked her if she believed in the Nicene Creed. She didn’t seem to understand. The better choice was what really happened. I sat with her until help arrived, until caring hands began to minister to her needs.

Bowls and towels will overcome the potential drop to thirty-seven percent in the next two decades. But it’s not about survival, is it. It’s about serving in His name. And, it’s about time.