I don't have Him, but...

The three transitions I mentioned in my previous post can really mess with your faith. Sometimes it feels like the carpet is being pulled out from right underneath your feet. It’s not that you don’t believe anymore — but it can feel like they way you have always believed suddenly stops working altogether. It’s called an epistemological crisis and lots of people are having them these days: it’s one of the reasons I think Emergent is such a necessary movement: it helps Christians find new ways of believing and practicing here in the postmodern world.

One of the participants this weekend may have been going through an epistemological crisis this weekend. He asked me if I have gone through this (many times) and how I coped. Did I ever feel scared? (Yes). Did I ever wonder if my faith might survive? (Absolutely).
I thought about that and then gave my answer. As I later reflected on what I said in my answer I realized how true it was.

What I said was this: what I have come to realize is that I have had to learn to trust not in the fact that I have Him, but rather that He has me.
I’m thankful for that insight. Over and over in scripture I read that God watches over us and holds us and keeps us. Yet in the middle of these questions regarding faith we get so scared that we might loose Him. As if we have to hold on really tight. The truth is: this is His world, we are His children, nothing scares Him — and He holds on to us.

Comments

[Justin Powell]

this is really a great encouragement...and so true! thanks Ro...