"Believing is Seeing"

"… for we walk by faith, not by sight."  2 Corinthians 5:7

Imagine life without the five senses of taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight?  

Imagine not being able to enjoy the sweet smell of freshly baked bread, burgers on the grill or the fragrance of the forest after a good rain.

Imagine not being able to taste your favorite things: that first cup of Starbuck’s coffee in the morning (or in my case 7-11); your favorite gourmet dish; popcorn at the movies; a hot dog at the ball game, or hot chocolate on a cold winter's night.

What would life be like without the sensation of touch? Imagine not being able to experience the relaxation of a back or foot massage, the warm jets of the hot tub, the softness and warmth of polar fleece, a hug of assurance or a gentle touch on the arm.

Imagine if you could never look into your child's or spouse's face again, see a smile or a tear, or take in the awesome splendor of the Grand Canyon or a majestic snow covered mountain peak.

What would life be like without the ability to audibly hear your child's shout of victory, or a loved one's cry of sorrow, or hear your baby speak that magical first word, or go to sleep to the sound of rain on the roof, or hear the wind whistling through the pines, or listen to your favorite music.

The senses are gifts that deeply enrich, and if we are missing one or more of them nowadays we say that we are impaired.  Those who have hearing or sight impairments can most certainly live blessed and full lives, but the loss of a sense is an obstacle to overcome making life an even greater challenge. We admire and deeply respect people who have navigated their way through life without certain senses.

I saw a magazine piece on a blind golfer. With the help of a navigator friend who serves as his "eyes," that is lines him up, gives him the distances and describes the hole, he then hits the golf ball and hit it pretty well he does - even better than some who possess the faculty of sight!

Sometimes we talk about a Sixth Sense - intuition or perhaps ESP.  ESP has never been proven in the laboratory, but even so, most of us have had experiences that seem to be more than coincidence. You sense that a loved one is in trouble, only to call and find out that something terrible happened.  You think of someone you haven't seen in a long time, and they call or show up on your doorstep. It is a mystery, but even so, many can testify to very real experiences that seem to be more than coincidental.

I like to talk about one more "sense," if you will.  We don't usually think of it as a sense, but it my mind it is - the SENSE OF FAITH.   Why do I call faith a sense?

We use our conventional senses to perceive what is real. Without those senses we say we are impaired, that our ability to perceive the world around us is limited. The use of these wondrous senses not only help us perceive the world, but when combined with our power to reason we can understand the world, come to conclusions about the world, and make decisions about living in the world.

I call a "faith" a sense because "faith" is the thing that is needed to perceive and understand God. Our conventional senses are not enough when it comes to God. Our conventional senses are always inadequate when it comes to God.  When it comes to God, without the sense of faith, we are impaired. 

Remember the disciple Thomas after the resurrection?  He was skeptical even when all of his best friends had told him they had seen Jesus. Thomas said, "Unless I see and I touch... I will not believe."  Thomas wouldn't believe unless he could perceive the risen Christ with his conventional senses.

Thomas got his chance. Some days later Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and Jesus let him see, hear and touch.  All Thomas, the hard core realist, could say at that point was, "My Lord and My God." Then Jesus said something that was for every person and every generation that has followed - including you and me. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!"

With that statement Jesus himself moves us beyond our conventional senses.  When it comes to God and the things of God, the bottom line is it's always a matter of faith. Think of all the people that Jesus encountered who didn't believe in him; who didn't follow him. Think of all the people who heard him preach and teach and yet didn't believe and didn't follow. Think of all the people who witnessed his miracles: turning water to wine; casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead and yet didn't believe in him and didn't follow. Think of all the people who had the opportunity to utilize their  conventional senses, and yet they didn't believe and didn't follow.

In the end it always gets down to faith. Faith becomes the singular "sense" with which we perceive the reality, truth, power and presence of God in this world.

Most of the time we live by the axiom, "Seeing is believing!"  But when it comes to God and the things of God and the kingdom of God we have to turn that around and say, "Believing is seeing!" Believing is a new way of seeing.  As the eyes are to the body, believing is to the soul.  Believing is how we see and perceive the things of God.  

Faith is different from the conventional senses. My conventional senses give me information ahead of time. My conventional senses give me a certain amount of assurance ahead of time - but not faith. Faith empowers me to follow and get my feet moving even when my other senses are confused, ambiguous and perhaps even telling me not to.  I would argue that everyone has faith and lives by faith.   Even the most skeptical among us live by faith - everyday.   Even those who scoff at faith live by faith all the time.

On April 30^th of this year I had faith that the next day I would make it through knee replacement surgery.  I had the faith able to dance again!  I couldn’t prove it.  It wasn’t a sure thing.  I could have had a blood clot or serious inflection.  A friend of mine from Alaska had the same surgery on the very same day and she is still in bed with a huge blood clot in her leg.  What was it that moved my feet to that hospital that day?  Wishful thinking?  A careful calculation of the odds?  No way!  It was faith: in the surgeon and in God.  As they were preparing me for surgery in the operating room, the surgeon came in.  I wasn’t heavily sedated yet, just mildly and looked at him and I said, “Doc, I’m placing my life in your hands and in God’s!”  He looked at me and said, “We’ll both take good care you!”

Couples of all ages and types come and stand here, join their lives and make sacred promises of faithfulness and life-long love, as recently as yesterday.  Will every marriage that is blessed here survive?  No!  Statistics tell us otherwise.  Does every individual couple that stands here believe their marriage will make it?  Yes!  If not, most would not go through with it.  It is faith that empowers them. 

I am involved in act of faith right before your eyes this morning.  Fact: you are sitting here.  Fact: I am standing here speaking.   Faith: that you are not sleeping with your eyes open and perhaps are  listening.

You see, faith is belief held in the presence of doubt.  Faith is not belief that removes all doubt.   Faith is belief held in the presence of doubt. 

Now let me tell you the really cool thing about faith!

With my conventional senses I can pretty much anticipate what is coming.  My conventional senses provide me with empirical data that helps me anticipate what is coming.  Combined with my ability to reason, I can then make a decision on what to do. 

But faith is a different thing and this is what makes it so cool.  For the most part all I have is an invitation and a promise.  Think of some things Jesus said. 

"I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly."

"I am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me, even though they die will live."

"I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

"Take up your cross and follow me; those who want to save their lives will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it."

"Love your enemies; pray who persecute you."

"If you do it to the least of these… you do it to me!"

"Follow me!" 

In the face of these kinds of invitations and promises our conventional senses are of little help.  Our conventional senses cannot help us know one way or the other if Jesus is speaking the truth, and truly is the Son of God, and knows what he's talking about. When it comes to following Jesus Christ "seeing is not believing, but believing is new way of seeing."  The only way we will ever know if Jesus is the real thing is to follow; is to move our feet in the direction Jesus is inviting us to go, even if our senses aren't sure, our heart is afraid and our mind is confused.

How much faith does it take?  Just a speck!  A mustard seed amount.  The promise is that a speck of faith is enough for God to bless and multiply beyond our wildest imaginations. 

My conventional senses cannot tell me if the man that hung on that cross was the Son of God truly dying for my sins.  But my "sense of faith" can empower me to take up my cross and follow him. And you know what? It's been my experience that it's along the way of following that I have discovered, to my greatest joy, that Jesus is telling the truth.

In a few moments, with our conventional senses, we will receive bread and wine.  By grace through faith, we trust it is the body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins, and newness of life.  Amen.