Minsters Blog

Dear Friends,

             In this scientific and technological age we are frequently told that if there was a God we would have no need of him anyway. Accompanying this attitude there seems to be a concerted effort to marginalise those who do believe there is a higher power.

   It appears that having a faith has not just become unfashionable but it is seen as a weakness of character and a factor that might compromise our ability to make important decisions. This is evident in the way our politicians avoid the ‘God’ word like the plague, and when asked directly if they have a faith, they either change the subject quickly, or emphasise that what they believe in private is kept private and no way affects their role or suitability as a politician.

   It is easy for us all to get drawn into this unfortunate mindset. I know many people who make no mention of their faith at work, perhaps because it might affect their chances of promotion or affect the outcome of a job interview, or just too embarrassed. Others find it difficult to share their faith within their social circles and I understand how uncomfortable this often makes people feel. I make no judgement because as I say our society isn’t conducive to life lived out with a faith and I am also mindful of, ‘when push came to shove’, how Simon Peter struggled to live out his association with Jesus.

   Yet, however important humankind believes itself to be within the world order, God has a way of reminding us exactly how small and insignificant we are without him. These days communication is faster than it has ever been, we are always pushing at the boundaries of knowledge, in medicine, technology and the sciences, and more people travel even further and more frequently.

   But a couple of weeks after Easter we were reminded by the volcano in Iceland that the infrastructure of our world is very fragile and fickle indeed. We were reminded of the awesomeness of God through the power of nature itself.

   I don’t for one minute believe that God would purposely set about causing chaos in people’s lives, which was the case for many people, my daughter Jessica included, in order to simply remind his prodigal creation that we are not as great as we think we are. I do believe though, that we should not forget that we are just one small part of the created order, sobering a thought as that may be.

   I am convinced that many of those who have no faith, think those of us who do, understand God to be an elderly gentleman with a long white beard looking down on us from somewhere in the clouds. Then there are those who are under the impression that God is a construct of our own imagination, the likes of Professor Richard Dawkins for example, who tries desperately hard to disprove God’s existence.

   Whichever side of the argument we come down on now, we will all know eventually. As St Paul said “What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror”, “What I know now is only partial”(1 Cor 13:12). But for the time being I think the forces of nature is as much proof as is required, to argue in favour of our need to be at peace and at one with our maker.

Every blessing to you all,Nick.

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