Categories: god
Tags: Church, Christianity, Ethics, Evangelical
Date: 13 May 2012 15:25:11
Yesterday I blogged about sport, or lack of it, in the ceremonies surrounding the Olympic Games under the title Antisport.
Today I would like to relate that to faith.
James, in his epistle, said "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:17 NKJV) Or as the NIV puts it, "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." If you say you have faith and it is not shown in action, then you are only deluding yourself.
The history of Christianity is full of examples of people whose faith showed itself in action. Lord Shaftesbury, an Evangelical, started children's homes and campaigned for workers' rights. The Oxford Movement, traditionalist Anglicans, establishes parishes in slum areas, working alongside people there. Albert Schweitzer, a liberal theologian, set up hospitals in Gabon.
On the other hand we can talk about faith. Theoretical theology is okay up to a point. But if all we do is talk, if our spirituality is nothing but reflective, is our faith really alive. It would be good to have our theology right, but look at the examples above, they would not agree theologically and yet God worked through them.
Today's sermon in church made much the same point. Several youths in the town have been involved in Love Huddersfield, which lets young people in churches get involved in social action projects about the town. Giving young people a chance to live out their faith is better than a hundred sermons.
After all did Jesus not say it is by our fruit that we shall be known. Not by our theology.