THE ADEQUACY OF AN UNBELIEVING FAITH — es

March 22, 1992, :

8:30 and’ 11:00°am.n. Worship Services”
John M. Buchanan |

: Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago

Scripture ~
Mark 9:14-27 ae

"...I believe; help my unbelief."
o Mark 9:24 (NRSV)

-.. T£-you are a reader of footnotes, you will, on oc
learn anteresting things. A footnote ig a notation at the
of a page which tells a-reader who is interested where.

nal source of a writer's information is and sometimes

information which is not essential to the’ argument o
Most of us find footnotes a little tedious and don't 2

like trying to read two books at once,
recond one is much smaller. That's th 2g about a.
footnote. .The print is so small it's almost as if the publi her
doesn't want anybody over forty-five to read Ate

_ But if you persist you will discover
of things you do not. want to know, som

imprecise the art-of translating ancient language ca;
aiso that there are "textual variations,"
appear in some ancient manuscripts and not in others...
read Mark 9:14-27. carefully you will discover in Mark
counting of what the boy's father said, a_ y letter "q.
if you move over to the bottom of the rig hand column, yo Wi1T
find, in tiny, italicized print, a fodtnote which reads: "Other
~eanclient-authorities add 'with tears, 1" which means that at least
“one very old version of the familiar story goes like this; 00

“The father says: -

“If you are able to do anything, have -pity on _
-UuSs-to help usi" 0s . SAME hes sh es Un So ne

rd Jesus saves

Goes you. are. able!” “ALL things: can “be done for. the
one. who believes. 1 ae

NT believe: help, my: unbelief. MWe

Ti go with. ‘the: “other ancient’ -authoritiés" on ‘that one,
urse it was: with’. ‘tears! — Think: of the. humanness, ‘the pas-
fhe poignancy of. this ‘Situation.

S : Jesus , Peter, anes ‘and. John are. returning, to ‘the. others
“after. having been -away.- on the mountain, in fact, “where they
-experienced ‘the mystery. and: glory. of God in ‘a dramatic way. As:
they: re-enter the: small: community. of his: friends: and followers, -

they are. brought back: to. earth abruptly ‘by the sounds. of an
-arg ment. Scribes - — religious officials, are. engaged in-a noisy
with his. disciples. The text doesn't» say. so,. but” my sense

the. Scribes are ahead on points at the moment:

sus. “inquires; “a. man. ‘steps. forward. out: of. ‘the ‘crowd, and -
-explains ‘that he has ‘brought. his-sick son. | The.- disciples: have.
p sntly ‘tried: to heal him. and © ‘failed: My sense -is that the
idiculed th perhaps: used: ‘the. ‘occasion. ‘to speak un-
: ly about Jesus. In-any - event, the. boy. was "multiply physi-
hallenged," we would: Saye “He: can!t: hear: or: speak. and it
Lf -he- has ilepsy,- a condition which: was- frightening
= ich the ancient world. attributed ‘to demon possession. 99%
of the. time he's fine. “a normal, sunny- faced , energetic: eight-.~
years old. a But then, without warning;:he has.a seizure, and his
rit. understand. and..run away. from him and later | ‘make: fun
of dn the: innocent . ‘but cruel way children. can. ‘be. It's
frightening... And: tts: ‘also ‘dangerous because during a.seizure
“he could. get. hurt, and ‘often. has. So; his. ‘parents watch him like _
hawk: atch for’ what. they. think are: warning signs -— although
: nit- be: ‘sure’ “when the- demon will seize him - and ‘they've:
never read a. “book; or: talked to.a- neurologist and there. are no.
support. groups for. ‘parents, in fact what-happens to him doesn't
~ even have’ a name. So they. have organized their life and the
ives” f their entire family around. these occasional terrifying
Beh as best. they can: They. try) not. to let him out of their
.\sigh but. they. know. ‘that. can't go: on. for ever because: hetil be’ an
~. adolescent: before. long, ~ and if he doesn't. die during one. of his
seizures, an adult some day -- some day. when they are: not around
to. help hin. “go they | ‘keep. a careful eye out for anyone who seems
a word of “hope, -no- matter. how: remote ‘Or cuntikely” Or

“That's: age ‘the father. is there alone, I presume, because his
oS yige: is tending to their other children. and he-has to do this by
_.. himself. and that's why he's standing there in this crowd ‘holding
_-his’son's hand, feeling more. than a little embarrassed, arguing
with: himself about how really. foolish. this ‘is. because ‘the disci-

“And immediately ‘the father: of. the boy cried eut. - with tears 20.00.

“ples: have’ tried: to. help: “and: have failed.
ment |: the: little. boy has’ a. seizure, -
crowd. So I:think the. father was cer
holding. him, when:-he said’ so: ‘tentativel
anything, have pity on. us. and help, us."

weecee it. is. also. why when: Jesus. says
for. the one: who. believes, os eis:
arms — tighten © around: his son, and_ te Ss
~. eyes’ because the: focus: of: this™ experienc sudde
camera; Sass it Were,: which had been® ‘Play: ng on tt
arguing. Scribes and Pharisees, t angry :
~ boy. standing. there curling his: toes in. thi
Jesus: ‘the. healer - th =

So. nels stenaing there 3}
his: hands, ©

Journal 1ast Monday abo
~~ Called” - one night in 1973. ‘and- ‘sai
completely honest with. “you; a

1989, and saic ye :

"zation a
moment,

When T read | ‘that. r “thought ; about. ‘that. other ‘father standing
ein his: embarrassment; holding. hiss: ‘son! s hand: in- his own and
ny Peliever | Nelp my), unbelief:. Me : : :

Et! s where. most Of. us. are, Tr ‘think. “Somewhere between belief

Le ; : =the. time: ‘belief and part of ‘the time

pend | more: time’. ain- sunbelief; “but: we are
hout belief: And sometime we are in® ‘belief, “but

ithout ithe presence: of: unbelief. ~In fact, most ‘of us live
ae uneasy: | eruce,. a kind of: synthesis ‘between —

“Archie. was philosephiz ing

d; "Faith: iss believing what. any. damn fool
[Stages of - Faith, James Fowler, p. 32). ‘Twain
“sod the Queen: ir in: Alice. in Wonderland, who chas
: hundred and one” years,: five: months: ‘and, one
I can't belie ve that, "said Alice. = "can't: you?" said
26 * . Draw.a. ‘long. breath ‘and: shut” your, eyes. "
sie Weatherh a The: Christian Agnostic, p. 30)

y goed: at. ‘believing what we: know can't be. true

r We are much better at: doubting: and.

je have - forgotten: how. to: believe: much: of

| Matter: of: shutting your: eyes and trying

‘although. aggressive. evangelical. believers. ‘sometimes sound —-

really is: nothing, thatvif - you" have Feservations, ee
Ss question: goubts ; you: don! t have faith, anor oS

And the. ‘result is: that a lot. of ‘people feel somehow. con-. |
signed to unbelief. because: they. Gannot.:come’ up: with = what they
‘think Feligion: calls” faith. And that is. too: bad.

“Writing ‘in: - Theology. Today. Hugh T “Kerr. tells about. “trying
to. help a friend, -who “had: long -age. lost®: her belief and disassoci-
self. from ¢ formal ‘religion, construct a memorial

r her husband a ee cae eee : :

Or: many . like. her, ‘the: everlasting
mprobable. “and. “more a matter: of -whis~-
dark. than stark’. reality. ~My friend.
-put the. pieces. of her. broken life.
together. ‘but what. ‘struck: me was the. pathos. ‘Of a
person. desperately. in need of what she once. had oe
known, — ‘that. underneath. are. the: everlasting: arms."
(Theology: Today 7 oe

* eople. = perhaps w. we are each: of us, a little
hat - who don't necessarily. disbelieve, but. gan lt. quite
n _ doeted ine:-of traditional orthodoxy.

‘Professor Hans Kung- who has written widely about the vial i SN
ity of faith, introduced his important: volume on Being a Gh)
like this:

"This: book is written for those -_

_-who. do not believe, pute nevertheless seriousiy
inquire; os

5 who. did believe, “but who- are not satisfied with ee
.: their. unbelief; coat é Be.

— swho- do believe, “but feel insecure in their faith;

~ Lwho are at a loss between belief and. unbeliet; Be

_ =who- are. skeptical, “both: about ‘their convictions _
aaa and about | their doubts. ane (ps. 19)

RB lot of. thoughtful people. fall. somewhere. in ‘those. catego- es
ries enough to make his book. a bestseller” and: Kung himself one. OF
the most. important theologians of our time. eee eee

‘Canadian Douglas John ‘Hall adds:

No Biblical. verse. is more | existentially’ ‘thean:
-.ful...than the prayer, "Lord, ir believe: help my
. unbelief. "(Thinking the: Faith, Pe 250) :

Te. we follow this. a bit further. Wwe: will: ‘see. that. ‘there are: aL,

lot of thoughtful and faithful -people who. do not agree that. faith |

and | ‘doubt, or belief and-unbelief are incompatible. In fact, “it

is amazing how many of the men°and women whose faith. journeys.

help so many others, themselves struggled with. and continue. to
struggle with doubt and unbelief. _ ee ae oa

a Rollo May, psychologist, philosopher:

he most creative ‘people neithér’ “ignore doubt: nor 7
_. are. paralyzed by it. They admit it, explore it,
and act in: spite of itv": (see William Sloan

_ Coffin, Courage. to Love, p. 7)

The influential Spanish } Philosopher, ‘Unamuno:
unite is. doubt,
and faith without. doubt
~.is nothing but death."
[Kerr, op.cit.]. :

John Donne: poet, “preacher, Dean of st. _ Paul's Cathedral in
the early i7th century: 12 NADER ses

3/22/92

"D9 | come to ay doubt. ois. the: voice of God in our,
conse W ul@- you. know. the truth... ‘Doubt, ee
and: then you-will inquire." - [see Madeleine: Lien
gle, Walking on Water, Pe (134)

And my favorite on the topic, Madeleine Liengle, ‘ace. a
ogian, Spiritual. ‘resource. for. ‘thousands. (Of sop her

We are oft n-- ‘taught ‘that. at ‘is: unfaithful to

Question traditional religious: ‘beliefs, but. I
‘believe we must question. them: continually =. not: —
God, not. Christ, whe. are-at> the center of: our’.

1S) 1 “but: what. human: beings | Say
About God and christ. ."(Ibid, Pe 433)", . ae

“pears” witness. Job. does not. patiently
to: either: his suffering “orto. the= orthodox religious as
nation of it; instead gives. full. and» eloquent. voice to his”
- misgivings: and “doubt, “argues. vehemently . against the. simplistic
_ Piety. of his friends and his: religion. © And Jesus» himself was -
eal ere than. quoting. the Bible, when he cried from his. Cross,
o i, My God. Why. which is. another. way” of. “saying? "I be-

# help: my unbelier. wee oo eee

Doubt: cand - faith are. ‘not. opposites. “Belief and unbelief are.
i ompatible. It maybe. that. in-an: honest. heart, both exist,

- faith needing. doubt. for the. Sake of integrity: oe
eeding. faith fo he: sake of sanity. —

“one: who” believes," Jesus _
vis father Said, "I believe:
: oss thes “adequacy. ‘of -an- Unbe-
the question: is: ‘this: uWhat? aid. He believer.
his” belief chat | was: “sufficient: : cae

oT think we can. rule ‘out. ‘doctrinal orthodoxy. This. was not a
‘could recite.all the. creeds: ‘without - crossing his. fingers;
ike a late friend. of mine, a professor of Biology. : at. Ohio
who used to. argue: about. the Apostles Creed, that he actu-.
: didn't. believe. very. much of it; couldn't. defeng it. intel-
~ lectually and SoO.even. for -the sake. of. Presbyterian ‘decency and
order” wasn't! going. to. -drop-his-~ intellectual integrity at the
Church door. and say words. he didn't believe. So he didn't... -He
oo was~ faithful, “generous, a brave. tember. Of: the community, loved:
God, loved: Jesus, “loved® his neighbor, but: would not. say. words ‘he
~ didn't understand. or. believe. "God will have to: ‘take’ me the way -
~ dt am," he used. to: say,. “standing. therein: defiant: ‘silence : as he
“recited. the. Creed. So IT conclude’ that. whatever ‘this. man had it

“wasn't: ‘enough orthodoxy: to get. him ordained or maybe™ even on the
reli: of a lot of churches. ae ; :

“what ‘he obviously had was.a lot. of heart, oa heart” ‘full of
. “love: ‘for his son. And ‘he obviously had alot of will and deter- eenotae
- mination to bring his. ‘oy | to this unlikely and. outside chance. ee