“Sight unseen”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Hebrews 11: 13-22 (Forward, p. 93) CEV p. 1267
It is often said that ‘seeing is believing’, and constantly we are being told to ‘look for the evidence’ before investing or making any other decision. Indeed, we seldom rent out a property to a stranger or offer a job to someone without looking at the references. Invariably we want some sort of ‘backing’ before leaping into an unknown or potentially risky piece of business.
So, what then, is being asked of us in terms of faith, where we are advised to trust in things that are not tangible or that cannot yet be seen? Abraham and Sarah were basically nomads, homeless, landless in terms of having a nation to call their own, and yet they were promised something else. God had promised them something else! And likewise with the promise of a son: so far—which was years! —Sarah had been considered barren and unable to have any children of her own. And, as for Jacob’s expectation that his descendants would return to Canaan, here were they ‘stuck’ in Egypt. In fact, the worst was yet to come for they would end of as slaves and be unable to leave. So, is this the opposite of the ‘evidence-based’ decision making that is customarily suggested to us. Indeed, the well-known book on apologetics, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, suggests this, even from a Christian point of view.
I would suggest that we should indeed base our decisions—and our faith—on hard cold evidence, at least to a point. We have the copious and well-asserted, well-established evidence of God’s actions in human affairs as laid out in the Bible. The life of Jesus is well attested, even from secular, non-Christian sources, and the resurrection is one of the best documented and confirmed ‘facts’ of history. And there are numerous persons throughout history who can attest to what God has done in their lives. And then, there are often our own experiences of God. I suspect that this is what sustained and motivated many of the ‘heroes’ of the faith that are listed in this chapter, Hebrews 11. I suspect that they had already found God to be loyal and faithful and worthy of their trust.
And, even when we do not yet have this personal experience of God’s love and care and faithfulness, we would do well to examine the evidence found in the Bible and the evidence of others to see whether it rings true for
ourselves or not. And then, if it does ring true, to take that leap of faith, that risk, of trying Him out for ourselves. And indeed, is that not what life is like in terms of any important decision, whether it be taking a new job, making an investment, entering into a relationship, or anything else? We will never know ‘all the facts. We can only take the facts we have, assess them, and then go from there. And that too is what we must do with God. Sure, it is somewhat ‘sight unseen’, but, as our forebearers in the faith discovered, it is certainly worth it.
Forward notes: “By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son” (verse 17).
“They say parents are only as happy as their unhappiest child. I don’t know children are unhappy. I cannot protect my children from going through hard times. I cannot take away their depression or uncertainty or anger or hurt. I cannot save them when they encounter rough waters even though I desperately yearn to and would do anything to spare them such pain.
“But by faith, I know God is with them always. By faith, I know God will provide. By faith, I pray God will open their eyes to see God’s dream for them. By faith, I can rejoice and bless God for all of God’s wonderful reversals! And by faith, I pray that my children, too, will know and rely on this faith for themselves and their children.”
Moving Forward: “Lent is just a couple of weeks away. How can you prepare your heart and mind, by faith?”