"Faith and Logic"

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV).

Yesterday I wrote about The Greater Reality. I must confess that I am not nearly as logical as some of the great apologists of history. However, I am reading more apologetics now than I have in some time. The more I read, the more I am convinced we have it right. For example, C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, wrote: "Now faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods." In his second published Narnia book, Lewis further explores questions of faith, as well as God's calling, through two recurring characters: Aslan the lion and Lucy Pevensie. If you have not read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, at least get the DVD and watch it. It is an incredible story speaking to the reality of faith.

In the book Lucy encounters Aslan for the first time, while in Prince Caspian she returns to Narnia, but Aslan, for a time, eludes her. A Christ-figure, Aslan embodies all that is just, holy and good. Like Christ, his divine presence is not only a comfort, but also radiates majesty, power and truth. Lucy is firm in her claim that she has seen Aslan, even when her traveling companions have not. She also believes that her seeing Aslan is a sign that they are going in the wrong direction. After some discussion (and argument), the group votes and decides not to act on Lucy's insights. Following a series of mishaps, the group then decides to turn around and go in the direction Lucy first suggested. Lucy later awakens from a deep sleep; "with the feeling that the voice she liked best in the world had been calling her name." Lucy heeds the call, gets up, and wanders through the woods alone. She is rewarded by meeting Aslan. "Welcome, child," says the lion. Lucy perceives him as being bigger than he used to be: "That is because you are older … every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

Of all the human characters in the Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy is most attuned to Aslan's voice and calling. She hears him and obeys. Her faith opens her to the wonders of God and His calling. And, isn’t this the truth in our reading today? The Bible, however, does not call us to blind faith, but reasonable faith that understands Christianity as being, in the words of the Apostle Paul, "true and reasonable" (Acts 26:25). As C.S. Lewis wrote, God "wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head." So, how can we become better attuned to God's presence and calling in our lives? Here are some suggestions to capturing the Great Reality in your life:

• Cultivate a regular and consistent prayer life
• Be open daily to seeking God's influence in your life
• Read the Bible regularly and thoughtfully
• Seek and heed the wise counsel of others
• Develop a genuine desire to be in God's will
• Rid yourself any possible habit in your life that may distance us from God
• Unclutter our spiritual lives so God has room to move

Faith is not blind movement. It is what has proven to be “true and reasonable” through the ages in the lives of all of those who have gone before us. Go ahead trust in the Great REALITY!