3. TRUST: A Leap of Faith Begins an Adventure and Gives Life a Direction

A Spiritual Vaccine

The symbols and mysteries of Christianity may seem strange and ancient. Many disdainfully dismiss them as 'old dogma'. We need to understand how powerful symbols can be. They touch on a deeper level and can be much stronger than words and concepts. The image of the cross has influenced our entire culture. It was a turning point in history.

Before Christ, the cross was purely a symbol of power. It was nothing more than a brutal instrument of execution. It represented the Roman Empire's ability to enslave people by intimidating them into submission.

After Christ, the cross became the exact opposite: a symbol of love.  These are radical images. It is a story of God's compassion for the powerless. God is not somewhere far away, watching the misery of the world. Through Christ he comes down to our earthly and human level. The cross means that he suffers with his creation. The resurrection means that he still loves it and wants to forgive it. He does not destroy his enemies with fire and brimstone, but overcomes the desire for revenge.

Many people believe in God because he has power and can bring happiness and success. They say that they love him, but in reality it is the gifts and the power that they love. The story of the cross transforms everyone who believes in it and understands it. Power and the exercise of power cease to be fascinating. The worship of God is not the same as the worship of power. 

The Choice: Control or Trust

In the light of this, it becomes clear how naive it is to use faith as a lever to control God. There is an enormous difference between these two statements:

• ”My faith in Christ entitles me to a place in paradise”.

• ”The message of Christ gives me the courage to trust that God is good”.

Is salvation within or beyond human control? If we want to feel in control, we must be firmly convinced that we have the right theology and the right piety. This creates an enormous fear of being wrong. The result is a strong belief in one’s own infallibility. But when everything is out of our control, there is nothing to do but trust in God Himself.

A Liberating Leap of Faith

According to the tradition of the Reformation, any attempt to bribe God is futile. The belief that you can control your own destiny is an illusion. This is actually a happy message. We do not need to believe out of fear, vanity or the need to control. Instead, it opens the way for a voluntary faith that touches us in the right way.

Bonhoeffer wrote:

This exercise in trust makes some people nervous and confused. They think, ”Surely there must be something you can point out to show that you are not on the same level as the unbelievers? Otherwise, you are just like everyone else! And isn’t it risky to be totally dependent on God’s will? Then you have no control at all!”

Why this need to compare your faith with others? Why this desire to make grace a right? If you don’t want to let go, the adventure can never begin.

Faith is not a magic formula that makes God kind and friendly. Nor is faith about reaching a certain state of mind to get a ticket to heaven. Faith is about throwing yourself into God’s arms and trusting that he is good and wants to help you. Only then is it possible to focus on what really matters. And only then is it possible to take God and the Christian faith really seriously.

No Animal Training for Humans!

For some, it is more logical that having the right faith should pay off. They believe in Jesus in order to receive certain exclusive benefits. ”What else is the point of being a Christian?” they ask.

Isn’t it better to follow him because you really want to? True faith is voluntary and needs no reward. Rewards and punishments can be used to train animals. A human being should develop in a different way: as a free and responsible person with inner integrity.

The most important things in life are compassion, good judgement, insight, humility, truthfulness, responsibility and integrity, etc. These things cannot be bought or forced. They can only be cultivated in a free relationship. This can become a reality when we believe that God’s love is a care for the health of the soul.

God and man are united in a common project – this is the meaning of the expression ”following Christ”.

Follow This Young Man!

To call yourself a Christian requires two things: to be baptised and to follow a young man who walked on earth two thousand years ago. Some of his words and actions may be difficult to understand because he lived in a different time and culture. But it is clear that he had courage and a very strong sense of purpose.

It is said that he lived in the desert for forty days to demonstrate his ability to resist temptation. The devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would worship him. He refused the bargain and instead chose the path of voluntary humility and self-sacrifice. From that moment on, he preached, performed miracles, and healed the sick.

To the horror of the moralists, he sought out all kinds of outcasts and ate and drank with them. He tried to explain that God loves sinners as well as the righteous. So we must do the same and show respect to those who do not deserve it, especially our enemies. We must not treat our enemies as they treat us.

He warned against the religious pedants who fixate on unimportant things and impose heavy burdens on people. Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? he asked. All the commandments are based on the love of God and the golden rule. He once amazed his disciples by washing their feet, showing that he who serves is greater than he who rules.

One day, he said, all people will have their lives evaluated. Those who have been harsh and unforgiving towards others will then be measured by the same standard and find that they deserve a harsh and unforgiving punishment. On that day it will become clear that the most important thing is to care for those who are less fortunate, especially the poor. What particularly angers God, he said, is when you call another person a fool.

When he called his disciples, he did not offer them a life of comfort and prosperity. On the contrary, he said they could expect no rewards or favours. Nor can those who follow him expect to be in total control of their lives or to know where they are going. He said that they were participants in a great historical drama of which no one, not even he, had a complete overview.

Trust in the Heavenly Father was what he wanted to teach them. Only through me, he said, will you find such faith and freedom. This is the way, the truth and the life.

These were the things this young man taught. Following in his footsteps means first of all learning not to hate and despise other people.