Note
from writer: This is a rather long read (4,375
words). I advise you to read it at a sitting, then share and discuss it with your
educated Christian friends.
Until
Africans develop the exceptional skill of navigating the tightrope of right
thinking and right faith, we will never see real progress.
It
is quite essential that I map out the audience I intend to tackle or address in
this piece of writing. This is important because while an essay may be
available to all, it may not be necessarily aimed at everybody. On occasion,
sense and prudence dictate that a writer reduces the perimeter, or narrows the
range of people she aims to address. This should ensure that those who feel
they fall into the class are able to comprehend the message communicated. Thus,
in this riveting piece, I will hope to speak to practicing Christian graduates
in particular, not just the professing type.
Having
narrowed the field, I shall proceed with the liberty and flair that is needed
as I freely express myself and embalm my deep thoughts in words and phrases
that such a restricted class should be able to dissect and assimilate.
"A
peek into my past"
I
have consistently been someone who asks questions. In truth, I sometimes feel
that my body was cast in a place and culture where my type, my resolve, my mien
is not very welcome. Indeed, I could never understand why so many people always
accepted the status quo when it was clearly obvious that such was not helping
with our progress.
As
a peek into my past, it was obvious that such an inquisitive and inquiring
mind, one very hungry for more information could only but thirst for even
more. This curved my bent down the path of pursuing more and more learning.
Even at present, after so many years invested in learning, the quest and
determination for more, still remains a fervid drive and quotidian desire.
Perhaps, it is the way some of us have been created; and rather than
questioning such a disposition, I have accepted this state of being.
As
far back as my mind can recall, I remember engaging in a heated colloquy with
my mum about matters of faith. It was surely me veering from the accepted norm,
as with our culture, children must take whatever they are fed.
I
found myself discussing why most things that occurred were deemed to be God's
will. I was in perpetual revolt about such a held position. The answers given
to me did not make much sense to my ever wondering brain. And indeed, several
years after, when I think about that fateful day and the discussion, I still do
not agree with the answers I was given.
It
is such questions and many others that drove me to start searching and seeking
out the truth for myself. Indeed, a person has to find their own path in life.
Moreover, I always felt the brand of Christianity in our culture lacked that
needed cutting-edge. I still do.
Interestingly,
it has proved a lifetime search and discovery, and at the moment, the major
question I have, and continue to wrestle with is: Where does our culture end,
and where does Christianity begin? This is a monumental question, as what I see
on the continent is some sort of freak maslin contrived by a hasty convocation
engaged in an ill-thought out invention. In truth, we are in a perdurable
confusion following not just the tracks of the Pharisees who "[made] the
word of God of none effect through [their] tradition" (Mark 7:13); for us,
we have acquired and continue to follow some farraginous conflation which can only
but leave us high and dry.
Without
a modicum of doubt, questions of such nature, by themselves are very tricky
ones to descant on. They lead one down circuitous, sinuous, and serpentine
paths that the average mind will not construe its challenging prehensility. And
it is that sort of ideas that lead me to consider the title of my chosen
subject: Navigating the Realms of Thinking & Faith.
"I
am Christian and sensible"
As
a doleful observation, increasingly, the general assumption is that thinking
and exercising faith are incompatible. In that sense, there are many who
practise faith and leave their brains to rot. On the other hand, as
demonstrated by many developed countries, most thinkers—as the world calls
them—do not identify with Christianity. How sad when one considers that some of
the greatest thinkers who changed the world were Christians. Influential people
like Newton, Copernicus, Faraday, Kepler, Boyle, Bell, and Kirby, to name a
few, were also Christians.
See
how Alexander Pope, the English poet's well-composed epitaph captured the
sublime fame and majestic achievement of Newton: "Nature and Nature's laws
lay hid in night: / God said, Let Newton be! and all was light." Even
Voltaire was blown away by his funeral and recounted, "He was buried like
a king who had done well by his subjects.”
In
stark contrast, today, in most parts of the world, when a person identifies
themselves as Christian, there is immediately thrust upon them that unfortunate
idea that they must be some ignorant narrow-minded species of a sort. And yet,
when carefully scrutinised and debated, such a charge may find some grounds.
After all, one has but to examine some of the things that people wearing the
Christian tag do. Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, "Dead flies cause the ointment
of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." By the standard of
this text, such a label may in some ways be justified.
It
is rather sad because there are those who presume that when a person chooses
faith, then they cease to exercise their ability to think. This has led to some
people surmising and categorising devout and serious Christians, or those who
identify as such, as sort of dim-witted benighted souls. Moreover, these hasty
generalisations and assumptions have gained credence and acceptance in the
collective psyche and visible fabric of many societies. In any case, I can
boldly state that: I am Christian and sensible. I have not lost my mind!
As
a writer who prefers to quote more from the Bible than any other book, I have
had comments where people have actually advised me to cease this helpful
practice. However, this is a piece of advice that I never intend to accept
and follow even if it means I lose some followers or readers.
In
this day and age when Christianity is under the strident attack and vinegary rage
of boisterous atheists; facing the furious and ferocious onslaught of fanatics
in the East; and Christians are being persecuted through the courts in the
West; at this pace, sooner rather than later, it will be very difficult for
Christians to continue to step out and live forth their faith in the public
square.
And
in that sense, there are some of us who will continue to reference the Bible no
matter what subject under the sun we will be given the opportunity to discuss
or write about. That is our brand and we will not shy away from it. As I have
averred a number of times, it is what I found in the Bible that pushed me to
start writing and communicating my thoughts with people. It is never about
personal accolades or awards.
"The
difficulty"
The
extremes of anything in life have consequences. In truth, I have tasted both
extremes of thinking and faith and found out that both do not help. While in
some countries the extremes of faith continue to hold sway, in others, it is a
sense of thinking that determines the order of the day. However, both must go
side by side if we are to live meaningful and successful lives. And here is
where the difficulty presents itself: How do we navigate living a life of faith
as Christians and at the same time continue to exist as compos mentis
Homo sapiens? Sadly, it is finding this right balance that has eluded many
people.
In
my available short story Gravellatina, right in the first
instalment, I tried to touch on a young Christian lady who gets into trouble,
because although educated, she struggles to find that balance not just between
what she wants but also what her grandmother advises, and this very much
revolves around a priest and what he could offer. Her boyfriend's demands also
not helping matters.
"Religion
without garments"
What
Christian graduates are prepared to do when the matters of faith come up are
almost unthinkable. It is exactly what I will refer to in quotable language as
religion without garments. Up and down the country, there are educated people
who are being swindled and taken advantage of by charlatans who do their best
to peddle their charade to the masses—they don't spare anyone.
It
is a sensitive topic as faith and stupidity on occasion are almost
indecipherable and inseparable. Believe me; a strong
willingness to commit to our faith has led to the destruction of families, lost
jobs, harrowing tales and even on occasion, cheap deaths.
This
is a serious and delicate matter worth discussing. There is this brand and
shade of Christianity presented, where one must swallow hook, line, and sinker
without thinking about what they are swallowing. Indeed, for many, when they
enter the church, they leave their brains at the door. In that sense, they
become easy targets for those who wish to further not just their nests, but to
also satisfy their flesh.
Moreover,
in many congregations, there is neither room nor allowance made for the
questioning type. If you are that person who asks relevant and searching
questions, you are bound to be a castaway. In fact, you will not survive that
sort of servile environment. You are expected to sheepishly swallow everything
that is shoved down your narrow throat (no matter how it hurts), or be tagged
as one stubborn soul who does not follow "direction".
Saying
this, it is important to also mention that no organisation can exist, or be
profitable, or make progress, if even its minuscule decisions are interminably
critiqued, and more strength is used in endless dialogues and meaningless
chatter rather than channelling such vital time into doing something
worthwhile. In that sense, balance always wins the day. Proverbs 11:1 is clear:
"A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his
delight."
"Exiting
the faith"
Many
a man has been born into a Christian home, and as they have grown up and
started on the shiny tracks of education, they have managed to not only
question our cherished faith, in fact, they have gone further by exiting the
faith. You can read my take on one such issue here https://angelinakmorrison.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/what-if-mzbel-is-right/.
This
is what is happening in the West as the churches continue to empty out. For
those countries, Sundays are now days for sports or work, and not for attending
church, which was almost standard tradition several years ago. In truth, most
people have left the faith as the gospel has almost become incompatible with
what they believe. In their view, it does not and cannot stand scrutiny;
rather, they base their assumptions on what science has to say.
However,
what they forget is that the faith has stood the test of time. And subjects of
this nature have been with our little race for ages. It was the 19th century
British biologist, Thomas Henry Huxley who perhaps appeared to suggest an
understanding and rapprochement between religion and science. In Science
and Hebrew Tradition (1893), he proffered, "The antagonism
between science and religion, about which we hear so much, appears to me to be
purely factitious—fabricated, on the one hand, by short-sighted religious
people who confound a certain branch of science, theology, with religion; and,
on the other, by equally short-sighted scientific people who forget that
science takes for its province only that which is susceptible of clear
intellectual comprehension; and that, outside the boundaries of that province,
they must be content with imagination, with hope, and with ignorance."
Moreover,
in reality, brilliant minds like Paul did not find the gospel to be
foolishness. They still held on to it. Paul rather says, "For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).
In
writing this article, I am bringing my own touch to the subject. I am not
hoping to make a literature review for you. You are a graduate, and you can use
your faculties of reading and research to gather as much information as
your heart will be pleased with. My goal is to highlight the difficulty of
being a Christian and a thinker; for such a state is never an easy life.
"Critical
thinking"
Not
too long ago, I had some people question whether I had backslidden when I
started raising some relevant and valid questions. Indeed, I have found that
the typical African does not want to go on their personal journey of discovery.
We like to take it as we are handed—no questions asked.
However,
as a graduate, I would expect that as part of your learning in school, you were
taught critical thinking. And it is this sort that is very much missing in our
brand of African Christianity. Nonetheless, it is this same act when not
practised well—within acceptable boundaries and sensible portals—that drives
people out of the faith.
Believe
me when I say that I know what it means to rise to the coldest regions of
thought where you have broken all barriers. It is a heavy weight to carry when
you start putting all cards on the table and start questioning what you have
learned and been told all your life—on occasion, it is scary, frightening,
dangerous!
Right
here, I can feel your curiosity is getting the better part of you. You are
wondering what some of the thoughts or the questions that lead to such realms
are. Let me mention a few, if it helps reduce your curiosity quotient: How can
a virgin get pregnant? How can Jesus Christ be both God and man? How can a
person die, be buried and rise up again? Who made God, and who made that person
who made that person? You may know the name of the preceding question: infinite
regression. Shall I mention more? No, you are intelligent enough to get the
point. And for all the good works and invested efforts of apologists, there are
still some very difficult questions to answer.
In
the pages of the Bible, a book par excellence, incomparable, unsurpassable,
inimitable—I could find more words that will not still capture its level)—there
are some really interesting things written that are simply mind-blowing for use
of a carefully thought-out and chosen word. In fact, for those of you who have
not read every page, you are missing out: get your Bible out and read from
cover to cover—you must accept my charge, if you are a graduate student and a
Christian. There is no excuse for you to say you have read some parts; you must
read the whole book.
Yes,
there are many interesting [repeated for emphasis] things that are unexplained
and are surely beyond the realms of usual thinking. And these are just some of
the things hungry brains like mine used to feed upon as some sort of
intoxicating pabulum. Pause and think about that for a moment.
"Room
for faith and thinking"
Personally
I have been in a position to call a sweet parley, a sort of
fragrant armistice between what I refer to as the "thinking"
realm and the "faith" realm. Nevertheless, I must confess it is a
tricky road to decide where faith ends and your thinking prowess kicks in; or
in another sense, where your thinking prowess should give way for your faith to
assume full effect. In other words, a sort of heterogeneous medley of a
sharp brain and a strong faith. By using these terms, I am deliberately not
attempting to go down the lines of what some will call as reason and faith.
Personally, looking at that body of information, I surmise a nuance between
that and what I am seeking to espouse here. Some might see my argument as a
microcosm steering away from the general debates about the universe and its
functioning and rather concerning itself with how we live our day-to-day life;
or even more, others may disagree, not sure exactly what I am perorating on.
Focusing
cardinally on the African situation, I am concerning myself with how we
practise our faith as Christians, and how we still continue to live our lives
as people who think logically through issues. How do we find that priceless
balance between the demands of the faith and the requirements or expectations that
could be had, of persons who will be termed sensible? And here, I can say that
with transparent clarity and stainless conviction, the current picture belies a
grim observation.
"Play
on their emotions"
Take
an example of Tina, our figurative lady friend who is being deceived by a
priest using concocted and twisted Scriptures to get her to do what she should
never ever do. She is a faithful and devout believer, in fact, very educated by
all indications. However, she has tried all that educated people will be
expected to try, and she is still not successful in her quest. Like Naaman (2
Kings 5) she has had to put her pride aside and move from "Syria" to
"Israel" in search of a "solution".
Now,
right here, there are people who will think of Tina as being stupid for even
going to see that "prophet". This is quite a vacuous conclusion. As I
have found out with life, if you have not been through much, you are very
critical and judgemental. However, when you have experienced what people
experience, you understand why they do what they do. In our figurative example,
Tina goes to see that "prophet" because she desperately needs help,
as other sources have failed her. A prima facie case of she being dumb
does not hold. She would have arrived at this conclusion following a logical
decision making system.
The
point above is to highlight why when stories break—usually almost as a staple,
majority of those duped or raped or mistreated are always women—and I hear the
comments of some people, I can easily tell that they do not understand what I
call "The Dynamics of Desperation" which I explore in a book with a
different title. People—men in particular—do not understand women and how they
relate to the faith. It is no coincidence that when a prophet hits a town,
there are more women than men in the crowds. This is a fact that does not need
any scientific data to back it up.
As
one will find out, there are many who will dip into the "Jordan"
which is worse than "Abana and Pharpar", if they are told that is
where they will get their breakthrough—even if they are in disagreement, many
will urge them on. As to whether there are sharks or snakes in that river will
not be a limiting factor. They are prepared to scale any imposing barrier to
get what they want. While the biblical story could be termed as the will of God
with a favourable ending, in most scenarios that follow this path, not all have
such a sweet conclusion—a quick read online vindicates this view.
This
in itself opens up a can of worms. Yes, the matter is a pretty kettle of fish.
After all, anybody who chooses to follow God and uses the Bible as a guiding
principle and not some contrived dogma or convoluted creed or some narrow
doctrine, will notice there is a relative expectation of belief—just what the
world will call incredulity—which must be a given, if you are to be able to
fully practise your faith. Failure to have that and your shadow will soon
darken the confused parlour of agnostics, or the crepuscular closet of
atheists.
Thus,
many people experiencing what we may argue as that "Tina syndrome"
will continue to find themselves the targets of vicious crooks determined to
play on their emotions and exploit their modicum of belief. After all, how many
of our women have the rare temerity or the remarkable intrepidity to stand
up and question these "prophets" or "preachers"?
"Stifle
his faith"
An
even trickier situation arises when our figurative friend, Sam, an educated
person who is a Christian borders too much on the "thinking" side of
the equation. Yes, he wishes to serve God, but the whole Christian thing is
proving difficult for him. It is hazy and mazy in his view. Let's say, God
really and truly speaks, but Sam has a problem not being able to discern God's
voice from what his mind tells him is foolishness. Church services leave him
scratching his head and raising his eye brows. In truth, and in many ways, Sam
is no different from an atheist at heart, although he is a Christian on the
outside. There is an intense conflict between the doubting interior and the
accepting exterior.
True,
being educated, he has read all there is to read and seen how many charlatans
are out there. He is overly cautious, and such tendency continues to stifle his
faith. As Scripture directs, "But without faith it is impossible to please
him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6 King James
Version). And faith will involve works: "Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also" (James 2:17, 26).
It
was Martin Luther King, Jr. who said that, "Faith is taking the first step
even when you don't see the whole staircase." However, in the case of Sam,
perhaps we should say because he has the "Sam affliction", he
continues to struggle as his mind always wants him to see the whole staircase
before he takes that vital first step. In many ways, he is a Thomas at heart.
Remember John 20:25? Here is what it says: "...But he said unto them,
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into
the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not
believe." Thomas' mind will only believe what he can verify. And here is
Sam's greatest trouble vigorously stirring right before our watchful eyes.
In
all truth, time will fail us to cite the numerous examples that could very well
fit our discussion. You are educated; I need not belabour the argument.
"Best
of both worlds"
Personally,
I have gone back to the Bible, and I will continue to keep digging its
engaging, enchanting and enrapturing treasures. I would encourage you to do the
same. What I keep finding is that navigating the realms of thinking and faith
is not one that many will be able to successfully handle. For most people, they
will sway or stray to faith only; or slither or sidle to only the realms of
thinking. It remains a crucial decision that will prove challenging for many.
However,
for those who want to remain in the middle, it will almost be like a tightrope
walk. It requires daily care to ensure that one does not become an extreme and
intemperate zealot and leave their mind behind. In another sense, that they do
not "think" over and over again until they become almost
"carnal", so to say.
Do
I have a workable solution: Yes! I would suggest that you exercise faith in
believing the God who gave you a brain to be able to use it appropriately
within the limits that He expects of you. After all, it was Galileo Galilei who
rightly stated: "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who
has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their
use."
I
am in no position to suggest any other thing to you, my educated friend. You
would have surely read many other things. I am only telling you the one thing
that I am mindful and fully believe that if you do, you can still enjoy the
best of both worlds. In that sense, you will not live like a fool, and also you
will not lose your faith. In fact, you will benefit from the priceless nectar
available in both realms. For, a measure of faith is needed in order to be
a Christian; moreover, a measure of sense is needed to be a successful
believer. The two seemingly diametric components must fit together like a
gestalt unit.
As
an abiding aspiration, I hope many more educated people on the African
continent will give the right place to faith. Furthermore, that those
Christians who perhaps may have deadened the cutting edge of their thinking
will give precedence to sharpening their powers of intricate thought. For, on
the day when more persons astute in navigating the tricky contours of faith and
thinking abound on the continent of Africa, a bright golden light of true
emancipation would have surely dawned which will only but guide us out of the
Dark Days in which we seem to be perennially stuck.
I
suggest you kindly forward this essay to all your Christian friends, and send
me your deepest thoughts and candid opinions.
Angelina K. Morrison is interested in national development, true religion, and self-improvement. She enjoys thinking, and writes stories only when the muse grips her. Her first short story, Gravellatina is a breathtaking five-part series available now at Amazon. You can email her at angelinakm75@gmail.com, or find her at www.angelinakmorrison.blogspot.com or Facebook page.
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