Saving Faith
/Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats;but my salvation will be for ever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.-Isaiah 51:6
What a time it has been lately for climate disasters in our part of the world. Hawaii suffered cataclysmic fire damage and Canada and the northwest US are still burning. Mexico and California have had a rare hurricane that brought serious flooding. Severe storms have battered the south and midwest, and recent flooding has caused upheaval in many areas here in the northeast. Coastlines are changing as sea levels rise, and those in low lying areas across the world are wondering whether their communities will survive. As I read the words of Isaiah, they come a little too close for comfort. I don’t like feeling like a gnat.
But at the same time, Isaiah reminds us that God’s deliverance will never be ended. God is with us and caring for us, even in ways that don’t necessarily feel like care from our present point of view. As hard as it might seem, we are called to wait in hope, to lift our eyes to the heavens - to look, in other words, to something beyond what we can see from here with praise and thanks, even in times of serious trouble or danger.
When I take a hike up a mountain and see magnificent views, it’s not hard at all to feel like I’m seeing beyond myself toward the heavens. It’s not hard to see God’s marvelous handiwork, nor is it hard to feel God’s presence. However, it’s a different story early in the morning when I’m catching up on the news and shaking my head at the constant and terrible changes the weather is causing and the suffering it is causing for all God’s creatures, including us. It’s a different story when the heat, humidity and rain keep me from climbing mountains.
The kind of faith that is only felt in good times is often called “fair weather faith.” Perhaps that phrase is more accurate than ever in the days of climate change. A faith that is only present in sunny, happy times is not one that is sustaining when it really matters. However, a faith that can endure in hope and trust even as the world seems to be burning up is truly a life-saving faith. A faith that persists in times of challenge and suffering is the faith I believe Jesus went to the cross to show us and even embody for us. His crucifixion and resurrection show us that even death is never the end, and trusting that is true is a life-saving faith. We’ve all been granted access to such faith through our baptisms and it’s the kind of faith that the world could use more of. In fact, it’s our call as people of faith to both embody and share it.
Although this saving faith has been granted to us as a gift, it’s not plopped down on us with in a way that it becomes our own without effort. The grace granted us needs to meet the grace we invite. A common comparison for this is sailing a boat. The wind comes , but unless we set our sail, it does nothing to move us forward. Another analogy is physical fitness - we’ve been granted bodies through no effort of our own, but we develop our bodies with good eating and exercise each day. If you sit still and eat cheese curls all the time, your body will never reach its God-given potential.
Likewise, the traditional practices of a deepening faith are prayer, study and acts of loving service to others. Throw in some forgiveness and gratitude, and over time, the faith Christ died to give us will begin to take root in us.
