GROWING UP IN RELIGION

Lake County Mail, Issue 8, 16 July 1947, Page 2

GROWING UP IN RELIGION

There are many in the world to-day who started off by having quite a bit of religion, but now have none. We had in our young days what might be called a second-hand religion. That is to say we did things and believed

things about God, because our parents

or the parson, or some other person whom we thought fairly trustwoithy told us these things were so or that they ought to be done. So we believed what they told us, and did the things —

like saying our prayers, reading the Bible or telling the truth or trying to resist wrong ideas about sex, and sometimes with all this finding God a very real person whom we knew, and with Whom, at our best moments at any rate, we lived our life.

That is perfectly all right for a start, and is on a level with our going on in the other -and more ordinary departments of life. For instance we switched on electric lights for years quite happily, and found that they woi kcd as we had been told they would, without having any idea how or why they worked. We knew for a long time too, that an egg boiled for two minutes was sure to be sloppy and soft, while one boiled for seven minutes would be hard like a soggy powder, but a long time before we found out why an egg behaved like that in hot watei.

It is the same with the things of God. We can use them quite profitably and sensibly for years before we ever begin to understand them. Some people go on like that in religion for all time, but most of us as we grow up, begin to question why and how things happen. We begin to use our brain, our intellect. It is not enough to say “ I know God loves me because other people told me so oi “ I know that Jesus Christ rose fiom the dead because it «s written in the Bible.” We begin to question muauthorities. We want to know why God loves us, especially as it often does not look like it, or to know who wrote the Bible, and how we know they did, and whether, the writers are worth believing. And /so 'one begins to explore, to study the reasons for our faith, read books, and find out for oneself. Bo not let any one persuade you that you are wrong - to want to use your brains, which God gave you, on this highest of all subjects. It is because some have been afraid to reason out their faith, been afraid to grow up and develop in religion, afraid to get to know God better that they have lost their faith. It is like someone who loses his first teeth, and has never cut any

second ones. So he cannot manage his spiritual food*at all. His body develops into a healthy one, but his spul starves. Reason is not contrary to faith. Faith is not believing something that is contradicted by reason. Reason takes you right up to the river, faith is the bridge which carries you across. If you are in the state where you have failed to grow up in religion ask those who can help you—your priest or minister. That- is what they are there for, but many treat them like a bicycle leaning against the wall, which is very useful if someone gets/ on it and turns the pedals. Another point about growing up, and again like the human body, “ when you were small you crawled round on your hands and knees. When you found your feet, for a while your mother or sorno other person would hold your hand and help you to walk. Then one day she would let go of your hand and encourage you to walk alone. She was helping you to grow up. If your mother had not done that, you might still be waiting for someone to carry you to your work in office or shop, factory or field. Of course you fell over a bit when you were practising, but finally you learnt not only to walk but also to run.

God is like that mother of yours. He helps us along at first, but then a time comes when we. seem to be without Him, as though He has taken His hand away. We possib.y stunin.e aiiv.

fall, but finally we learn to walk towards Him and the muscles of our souls develop. If such a time comes to you, either suddenly or slowly, when your prayers seem unreal, and you cannot find God, still perservere. For it is a sign that we are growing up in religion! Becoming what God meant us to be — fully grown spiritually as well as physically. Philip C. Williams.