In Mark's gospel the disciples are sent out into the world and told to take nothing with other than a stick or staff (Mk. 6:8). We enter into the world at birth with nothing and Christ sends his disciples into the world with nothing, so why are we so hung up about our worldly possessions? This question is a good one for any of us who declare ourselves Christian. In answering it we have to be very careful in what we say because if we are not we go against our own beliefs in God and Christ, indeed we place our trust in our own answers and our own abilities rather than placing our faith in God. In the modern world it is very difficult for us to live with such supreme faith and trust. Since the enlightenment and the understanding granted to us by the scientific process we tend now not to place trust in something we do not know fully or at all.
Can you really imagine beginning a journey to Kathmandu without first making as many investigations and preparation as we can? Even if we were to change our job or our living circumstances the amount of preparation and investigation that proceeds such a life changing moment is enormous. We very rarely just get up and go. There are some who do and they often come back and say what a life changing journey / trip / change it was for them. For those of us in the faith community that calls itself followers of Christ our essential understanding should be, we do not like the term must, that we take a step in faith along the journey towards God and to become more Christlike. If we do not take that step of faith then we are indubitably making assessments as to the way forward on our own understanding and knowledge. We have no trust in the God we proclaim and apparently worship. If Christ is able to send the disciples out with nothing and they are prepared to go at a time that was perhaps even more dangerous then ours, why are we not prepared to take that step of faith?
Perhaps the answer is in how we live our modern lives. Everything is convenient for one and we are not prepared to sacrifice convenience for faith. Anyone who has made a move or changed their lives knows that one of the things we look for in our planning is the availability of what we think we need most. Young families will look for schools perhaps, or local clubs that support their sport or interest. Can you imagine as a golfer going of to live somewhere where there is no golf course readily available? This is one of the reasons we do not take that step of faith. The other major reason, if you will, is that we are to terrified of the unknown in this day and age. Faith requires a certain amount of acceptance to / of what we cannot see or grasp but is there non the less. The mystical experience or the spiritual foundations of the faith journey are no longer an accepted part of our milieu or society. The worst legacy from the enlightenment is this inability to connect with things that cannot be conceived. We need to have an understanding, a hands on, so to speak before we can acknowledge the possibility.
If we were to hear Paul's story of the man caught up to the third heaven and paradise (2 Cor. 12: 3-4) today we would think that we were reading from some fantasy novel or science fiction or maybe he was just a bit high. In other words fiction is the operative word. Yet, for Paul's respondents this was a distinct and great possibility just as it would translate well for some of our historic mystics within the Christian faith. Somehow, we need to move past our scientific and resolute attitude to achieve an understanding of faith that is beyond our everyday world. Much of what could not be explained at the time that the scriptures were written can be explained today by science but the mystical and super-natural is still present in our acknowledgement of faith even if we are to deny it. The world has turned and what is interesting is that a large number of young people read and are enthralled by fantasy, science fiction and other genres in film and book. These books are appealing to the side of our lives which is beyond fact and reliant on faith. Belief in both Christian and other circles is to a large extent based on our ability to believe in something other. The disciples had no such problem. They believed and as a result were willing to throw themselves into an unknown situation with little planning to follow a dream. To live in a reality beyond themselves to bring others into the presence of God. It is this attitude of throwing ourselves into an unknown future that follows a call from God. Much like Bilbo Baggins we need to step on the road that leads us into the unknown.
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