Non-Standard Sources of Faith

One of my bestest Christmas presents this year (besides getting to spend the holiday with my family and all of you folks) was receiving the Lord of the Rings extended edition movies on Blu-Ray.  Now, mind you, these puppies are three hours long apiece.  With my schedule there's no way I can sit down and watch them all at once.  So on nights when I've had half an hour free at the end of my day or need to unwind, I've watched them in small snippets.  I'm through the second movie now and headed through to the third and final one.

Watching these films takes me back to my childhood when I read the books from which the story is based.  Mind you, the film version isn't a completely faithful re-creation.  None of them are.  The movies are good.  The books, though, were great.  And as I think back on reading them over and over when I was young, I realize the profound effect they, and a few other treasured stories, had on shaping my theology and world view.

Obviously most of my theology comes from (gasp!) The Bible.  There's no substitute for the Word of God.  But being prepared by other good literary works before I got to Scripture helped me understand it better.  Tolkien's Lord of the Rings narrative, for instance, is about redemption and perseverance.  In the end one of the least deserving characters, through no intention of his own, saves the day when all of the "good guys", great and small, had failed.  The temptation throughout the story was to dismiss this guy, to be rid of him.  He was no good.  But the wise old man counseled mercy, that you never know what part somebody's life will play.  The others listened and because they chose the merciful route rather than the expedient or desirable, the world was saved.  That's a powerful lesson taught in such a way that I never knew I was learning it until now, when I look back.

C.S. Lewis' Narnia series is another obvious source of inspiration...this one intentional on the author's part.  He was, in essence, telling an extended Christian parable with his works.  Flannery O'Connor became a favorite short-story author well before I understood she was also talking about godly things.

The point here is not just to praise or recommend certain authors or stories.  Everyone will have their own favorites.  The lesson here is to be ready to see God in places that aren't obvious.  We've traditionally thought of "strong faith" as being firm about finding God in church and upholding his Great and Holy Stuff that you'll find in Great and Holy Works by Great and Holy Men.  Alright...I guess that is pretty strong.  But you know what's even stronger?  Being able to see God in the everyday is stronger.  Being able to find holy meaning and God's presence in places other people miss is stronger.  Being able to connect the dots in God's great web of creation which includes inspiring people as teachers and prophets to this day--women and children and normal-looking folks you wouldn't suspect--is stronger.

We're not supposed to wait passively for God to knock on our foreheads.  We ARE supposed to find him in church but that's not the ONLY place we're supposed to see him, just the first and most obvious.  Church helps us identify the God we're finding but that identity is not contained only within his walls.  If anything it's the opposite.  Church is where we remember that God is everywhere, touching everyone.  Like viewing a great work of art, hearing an amazing symphony, or watching an incredible movie, seeing God in church should make us curious and hungry for even more.

Boy am I glad for the works of Tolkien and Lewis and others.  Without knowing it their fine works helped me see and understand an even finer God.  It's a neat thing to think about.  It's also neat to be able to look back and understand that those words were the first whispers of God calling my name, sending a message which would become so important in my life.

If you want to share the ways God has spoken to you outside of church feel free.  The comment section is open!  It'd be interesting to hear from some folks about their own experiences with things that unexpectedly taught them about faith.  Could be a book, a song, a movie, or something else entirely.  Share if you will!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)