Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Devotion - Wednesday, February 21

A visit yesterday had a familiar refrain, "I don't know enough to be able to explain why I am Christian."  Too often I hear from folks a worry, a concern, a self-criticism related to how much attention they paid in Sunday School or how effective were their catechism classes.

This morning I read from Paul's letter to Corinth.  In I Cor 2, he writes, "When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God."

Never forget that it is the working of the Spirit which brings us to our faith and it is the work of the Spirit to provide us the words we need, when we need them.

It is not dumbing down to simplify our response.  It is acknowledging the core and the heart of our faith.  Jesus taught many lessons and he shared much wisdom.  But we see him as Messiah through the lens of his death on the cross.

"I don't have an answer" is a fine response.  Maybe it could be followed up with "I do have a calm and a peace and an assurance."  It is this confidence in God and God's grace which defines the life of faith - not lofty words or profound knowledge.

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