Faith Matters
Faith Matters is a snappy title for this column. How are we to understand it? It might mean ‘matters appertaining to faith’ or it could mean ‘faith really matters’. It seems to me that both interpretations are valid.
Faith Matters has recently migrated from the former Solihull News to the Solihull Mail and, as a result, may have gained new readers. For many, many years the column was called Christian Comment but, when a new editor took over the Solihull News more than 15 years ago, he dispensed with the feature. Readers wrote in complaining and it was soon reinstated under the new banner ‘Faith Matters.’ Other religious faiths such as the Jewish and Islamic were now represented and contributed articles accordingly. This move reflected well the shift in culture, which no longer recognised Christianity as the default faith of our country.
Many hold the secularist view that, ‘religion is okay for those who want it. All opinions on such things are equally valid; just don’t try converting anybody.’ People who hold to a pluralist view of religious faith may label as being intolerant those who want to maintain the sanctity of their own faith.
Jesus, a preacher and teacher, was intolerant of any form of religion that was not in accordance with truth; whether that was the default religion of his culture (Judaism) or the many religious notions that were around at that time. On the other hand, he was seen as being too tolerant of marginalised and needy men and women; people to whom Jesus reached out, when they called in earnest for his help.
When Jesus claimed that only he had the truth and that he himself, to the exclusion of all others, was the way to God, this proved too much for the prevailing culture to tolerate - he had to be done away with. He was put to death by being hung on a cross. Would he have been treated any better in Britain in 2019?
One major distinction of Christianity is that it holds to the understanding that its founder did not stay dead, but was raised to life again by God, so vindicating Jesus’ claims. This means that he is still present to help any who will call to him from their heart and will dare to trust that he is just who he says he is. That expression ‘dare to trust’ equates to exercising faith, a concept which is most important for Christians and one which is said to please God. So we finish where we came in, ‘Faith Matters.’
