Thoughts on faith and the lack thereof

It is astounding how different your world views might be from mine. Often I forget this. Heaven forbid that I ever forget again.

Living in a school environment inundated with Christian views, however varied denominationally, shields me from much popular thought and contrasting world views and religions. Choosing a religiously affiliated school without "statements of faith" or chapel attendance requirements, like many Christian private colleges, was intentional on my part because I expected to find many students with quite different beliefs than I. My goals were twofold: one was to develop my Christian faith as my own, without it being forced upon me by a school institution, and to benefit from a Christian environment and all the resources it offered. My second goal was to learn from students who were, say, atheist, or Jewish, or agnostic, or Buddhist. To see from their eyes and also to have deep conversations about faith with them.

Okay, maybe I was a bit too idealistic when I arrived in Hope that muggy, cloudy August afternoon a year and a half ago. Honestly, Holland is full of church attenders. And while I am grateful for that, I am realizing quickly that there is still a "bubble" around this school that is healthy to leave once and a while. I truly believe that being surrounded by strong Christian community is Biblical and necessary for living a life following God's commands by faith. I also believe that in order to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), Christians have to leave the bubble, live out their faith in their everyday lives, and talk about Jesus.

Here's my religious world view in several short sentences. God, who had no beginning, created the world and is the sole provider and sustainer of life. Although people are beautiful with huge capacities to achieve and do incredible things in this world, they are also innately sinful and can only go short periods of time without messing up. God himself is perfect and loves humanity. However, sin has always required a blood sacrifice - God cannot stand sin. Because he loved us (and really, who knows why else? God is a mystery!) God became human flesh and lived as a human in the form of Jesus Christ. He lived to show us the best way to live and died so that anyone who follows him can be with him forever one day. I believe this with all my heart.

How can I prove it? Modern culture is concerned with logic, with figuring out the pieces and explaining the whys and the hows. Or, they are complacent with parceling out religious beliefs and letting everyone enjoy their own spiritualities. You want to believe man is intrinsically good and that everyone will have their own planet someday? Fine, if that makes you happy. Do you want to believe there is no God and that your chief purpose in life is to have success and enjoy pleasure? If that's what you want...

I can't prove God's existence. Neither can you.

I feel quite inept at "proving" or "arguing" my faith with others. Perhaps this is a wake-up call for me to learn how to better discuss what I believe with people who disagree. Perhaps I need to learn how to articulate the deepest convictions of my heart, and the hearts of so many Christian friends.

More thoughts on this to come. My heart hurts remembering that the Christian convictions I find so solid at Hope are to some, ridiculous, unintelligent, or simply unbelievable. Everyone has a choice to believe what they will. But my prayer is that God shows his love to the least likely to accept it. That he overcomes doubtful hearts with his grace and love.

Lots of blabbering for a Friday night... thanks for putting up with me!