My friend, pastor of a Progressive Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri, posts his sermons on U-Tube. One of his viewers recently criticized him for preaching a faith ill suited for “hard times.” (Here is the sermon: “Saying What No One Wants to Hear” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytgXUBZQn18). The criticism set me to pondering the phrase—“a faith for hard times.” It seemed timely criticism, since the country, indeed the world, for several years has been experiencing a severe economic downturn. Many have lost jobs and homes in the crisis. In addition, the past few years we have experienced thousands killed in natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes) and shocking mass murders (i.e., the 9/11 destruction of the Twin Trade Towers, Columbine, the shooting at Aurora, Colorado, etc.).

     The critic was obviously from a traditional Christian faith community, and he could not imagine that any faith apart from his own “orthodoxy” would be able to offer solace and comfort in difficult times. Here is a bit of his criticism of the sermon:

With your theology, please do not refer to yourself as a Christian. You are best described as a Unitarian Universalist, but even this is a stretch. You have no faith for hard times . . . but you have discarded the teachings of the orthodox church . . . .”

     The critic overlooked the fact that all who affirm religious faith find ways to accommodate their faith to “hard times.” That is as true for Christians as it is for Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, and for the thousands of other belief systems that currently exist or have existed previously.

     Christians who affirm a Trinitarian faith, such as the critic in this case, should come to terms with the fact that neither Jesus nor his earliest followers were Trinitarian. The Trinity, as a dogma of the church, was a political necessity for Christianity in the fourth century. It had become more philosophical through the years, and in order to protect itself from a charge of polytheism (belief in many gods) theologians argued that “God” is actually comprised of three distinct divine figures (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) but they are nevertheless One. This church dogma does not work for those who find unconvincing the theologians’ appeal to “a divine mystery.”

     There is ample evidence that every religion has a faith for hard times. For example in Hebrew Bible (the “Old Testament”) the ancient Israelite confession was “Hear Oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut 6:4). God was particularly jealous: "You shall have no other Gods before me” (Deut 5:7). And the Psalms are filled with songs attesting that Hebrew faith was a faith for hard times. Here is an excerpt from a lament psalm:

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising up against me; many are saying of me there is no help for him in God.

But thou, O Lord are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill (Psalm 3:1-3).

Here are a few lines of a votive stele from Egypt (New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.):

You are Ammun, Lord of the silent, who comes at the voice of the poor; when I call to you in my distress, you come to rescue me, to give breath to him who is wretched, to rescue me from bondage (Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature).

People of faith—of whatever faith, find ways to make their faith work in hard times. Nevertheless, hard times do take a toll on faith—as will both education and aging. We change, and so does what we think we know—and so does our religious faith. No one’s experience is the same and no one’s faith is static, however much the true believer wants to believe it is.

     But I do wonder: is it even essential that one believe in God to have a faith that endures in hard times? Will a non-mythical faith, having humanity as its essential core, still help one overcome the tragic crises of life?

Charles W. Hedrick
Professor Emeritus
Missouri State University

Posted by Charles Hedrick at 8:51am