THE SUN, THE RUGGED CROSS, AND THE MOON & STAR

To this day, a universal definition of the word “faith” has suffered a great deal. If faith would mean convincing the mind to accept what the eye can’t see, or if it would mean a religious sect, or a religious practice, or anything more, that would vary from person to person, or from subject to another.  In my experience, some actually talk of faith without knowing what it could mean. I’ll share a little bit about an experience of three different religious groups in one place.

A few weeks back, I found a group of people and asked if they would want to have basic knowledge about computer. Unsurprisingly, they consented. One of my students for this project is a Moslem, but is fathered by a Christian who happens to be a priest. Our station is neighbored by a lot of Seventh Day Adventists. Most members in my team are Anglicans. Three religions in one place. Trilemma of belief, isn’t it?

During a break, two groups, the SDAs and Anglicans found themselves together. A friend made a statement, “there are books in the Bible that don’t mention God”. I smiled at her and I was determined to have a little fun with these team. “like which book?”, I asked the lady. She thought for a while and I felt within me that she wasn’t sure. After a while, she said “Ruth of course”. I asked her, “what if you are wrong, will you accept the truth?”, the excited young lady was adamant and couldn’t accept that she was wrong. She is an Anglican.

While the SDAs were watching the whole thing, they asked me to prove her wrong. I pulled my phone and browsed to the book of Ruth and showed “…your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God”. She couldn’t believe. She demanded that another Bible be used, an SDA pulled a Bible and read for her and she was left speechless.

At this point, an informal Bible study started. People made a lot of trivia to each other. Then someone asked, “what about Islam?”. My Muslim friend who was inside was called to join the group. Someone asked him, “tell us the origin of Islam, and how Ibrahim is a Muslim.

After this brother had narrated a lot of history of his understanding of how Islam came to be, I asked him, “are you sure about that?”. I’m not sure if he saw that question coming. But he approved that he was sure. I asked him, “which Surah did you get that?”. This is when the rubber was meeting the rod. He had no idea. I asked him the third question, “is it from AL ‘Quran, or from the Hadith?”, the lad wasn’t sure either. Shortly after, he escaped from the group and went back.

A minute or two later, an SDA started asking me privately about why Anglicans pray on Sunday. I knew where she was heading. She actually was an Anglican, but got married to an SDA, and everything changed. “which day is the first day?”, I asked her. “Sunday”, she replied. “Okay, according to who?”, I asked, “the Bible”, she replied. “is it of the Jews that belong to Judaism, or of everyone?” she didn’t answer.

After the discussions, I had to caution everyone there privately about one thing, “zeal without knowledge”.

I realized that what Paul talked about of the Romans, applies to many people of this day. ZEAL WHICH IS NOT INFORMED. With great enthusiasm, they hold on to things which they don’t understand. This causes most people to end up holding loose what they should hold tight. The Jews had passion for God, but ended up killing Jesus, God as man.

We all need to be able to give a reason for our belief in the things whatsoever we claim to be true. We need to find the truth and stick to it boldly. We need to test whatever is uncertain to us, that we may hold to what we can be sure about. If we’re not sure of our relationship with God, as Matthew 7:7 says, ask God to help your unbelief. Have that evidence of the things not yet seen, and a substance for our hope that we have.

Further reading: Romans 10:2