"I'm Still Muddle-Headed About God"

Radio Record, 7 August 1936, Page 14

"I'm Still Muddle-Headed About God"

‘Christchurch Canons Reply lo Signed Article .

Canon Charles Perry, M.A. (Oxon), who has commented below on the signed article, "I’m Still Muddle-Headed About God," by Trevor Lane, tiv last week's Record," isthe vicar of St. Michael's and All Angels’ Anglican Church, ‘Christchurch. He is returning to Australia in October after.20 years in New Zealand, is known’ as a scholarly priest awho has not permit ted intellectual activity to interfere with human sympathy, and has made aname as a simple, direct and convincing speaker. His views are "informed with a wide knowledge of mediaeval and modern church history, which he has not hesitated to put before the public through the columns of the Press. With Canon Perry will go Mrs. "Perry, well:known in Australian "letters. as Dorothy Frances MeOrae; two of their sons, and their ‘daughter, Miss Claire Perry.

MR. TREVOR LANE with: engaging frankness tells us that he is still muddle-headed about God. He'was conscious of God when he was a small boy, he. continued to say his prayers, he has lately been struck by the con-' sciousness of God which he found ' in the group movement ; but he still says that he is muddle-headed about God. Now I think the best thing to say‘ to this is:-‘‘Aren’t we all?" We can-. not know God, however orthodox we’ may: be, aS well as we know, for. example a bar of soap. We cannot know . Him in the same way as we know Tom Smith, and it is no‘use ‘expecting to. If we could, He would not be God. We know many. things by: our senses- ;

_ . ony fe sight, touch and so forth-but we know { the unseen world and its inhabitants only by faith.. It is stupid.to say that Faith is the opposite of Reason, because we have to use our reason in order to believe. Faith is the-opposite of Sight. We know God by this faith, then, and everyone may have this faith and. so know. God. But faith needs cultivation, like all our other faculties, or it becomes weak and may die. Many. men do not cultivate the faith that is in them, while others are at great pains to so do by prayer and worship and sacraments. They may remain "muddleheaded" about God in the sense that they cannot define Him, nor clearly apprehend Him, but. their minds are ene lightened’ by the thought. of ‘Him, their hearts are warmed by. His: beneficence’

and their lives are fortified by Him all the same, Now the burdén of the Christian religion is. that God is Love. Theére have been parodies of the Christian religion with unworthy conceptions of God, but the main stream of Christianity through the ages has always put. the love of God above every other quality that He has, : In-His love God wished to tiake Himself known to man so clearly that there might be as little "muddle-headedness" as possible. Sé "God was made mat." When Christians see Jesus Christ in the manger at Bethlehem, or on the holy fields ot Paleeting of on the Cross at

Calvary they say:-"There is God: God manifest in flesh." God incarnate. God was made man for love of us, for many reasons Christians believe, but, for Him, among others, that He might be known. Though Christians cannot know God ¢learly and definitely and are to some extent muddie-headed, still by faith they do know Him and especially in the historical figure Jesus Christ who is ky w in heaven. { It is pldin that Mr. Trevor Lane takes Jreligion setiously. A thoughtful man itt arly life, as I suppose him to bé, cannot teally put religion éntitély ort of his niind. It is for one thing always obtruding itselfin the streets, in literature, in music, Some men cultivate it and allow it to influence their daily life. No very definite conception of God is necessary for this, but of course Christians believe that in their knowledge of Jesus Christ which they cultivate in many well-known ways, they are blessed here with the highest knowledge of God possible to man and for the future have the blessed hope of everlasting life where we shall know even as we are known.