Imagining the Lectionary: Faith - fashionable, desirable and essential (Sunday before Lent B/ Transfiguration Sunday)

I could not help but notice the irony of the manufacturer's name which frames this display of up to the minute fashion shoes in a local department store.   I have no doubt that the brand 'Faith' see their products as a fashionable, desirable and essential part of a chic wardrobe. Having taken the photo I added in the subtext myself to point up the irony that Christian Faith is seen by the secular majority today as anything but these things, and to some it is in fact their polar opposite: unfashionable, undesirable and inessential. Or worse.

As someone whose life is dedicated to faith, and for whom faith is the lens through which I am enabled to live my life abundantly with such enriching meaning and purpose, I find the hard edge of contemporary secularism quite difficult to come to terms with.  How can something which matters so much to me incite ridicule and hostility in some and be such a complete irrelevance to others?

And then I turn the question around a bit and consider it from the viewpoint of someone looking at the display of shoes.  What they see is bright, light and modern, clearly carefully arranged and with considerable thought given to style, colour, size and placement. All this is intended to render that vital first impression a positive one. The shopper needs to get the strong sense that she can see herself looking and feeling really good in these shoes.

But seeing faith and making a decision to opt for it is nowhere near as straightforward a proposition. Where do you look and what do you turn your attention towards? How do you see faith in such a way as to be encouraged and enabled to get up close, hold it in your own hands and try it on for size?
Faith seems to be a concept ruled unnecessary by our scientific, empirical worldview and rendered redundant by progressive rational thought. Its place in our common life is becoming ever more distant from each successive generation, to whom faith really does appear to be unfashionable, undesirable and inessential. Getting your hands on faith is quite a challenge, especially if it is beyond your own experience or that of those you trust and respect.

Rather than being argumentative and propositional in nature, faith is ultimately experiential and about our personal encounter with the living reality of God. The only way to know whether it is for you is to take it in your own hands and try it on.

Because faith empowers and faith transforms. And these things are tangible.

"they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit..." (2 Kings 2:7-9)

The fact of Elisha's devolopment into a faith-shaper of the people is unmistakably founded on what he saw and witnessed for himself of God's Spirit at work in Elijah's ministry. Having experienced this he of course wanted more of what he saw for himself. He wanted what Elijah had got - and doubly so - for he wanted to inherit all that could come to him from God without reservation. And when the time came for him to put his faith to the test, he discovered that God's Spirit flowed through him just as providentially too:

"He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over."  (2 Kings 2:13-14)

He was enabled to do what Elijah had done. The crossing of the Jordan was his Rubicon moment when the aliveness of God's presence and the importance of God's purpose in his life became a given beyond conjecture. God's creative Spirit and his own life were aligned. The prophetic task of leadership and challenge was now his.

Looking at this display of what faith looks like helps us to understand what is often missing today and answers in part why faith is so open to question and ridicule in our culture. It wasn't an idea that swept Elisha up, filled him, empowered him and motivated him so completely. Stepping into the prophet's shoes he discovered what authentic faith felt like to the touch. The wonderful fit convinced him that this was for him. And he bought into the brand bigtime.

And us?

Lord, let your Spirit meet us here 
to mend the body, mind and soul, 
to disentangle peace from pain 
and make your broken people whole
John L. Bell and Graham Maule