Why God?

Today is All Saints' Day, the traditional day upon which Christians remember all the "saints" who have gone before us. And for us, all Christians are saints, maybe not capital S Saints but saints nonetheless. They have held on to this strange faith in a resurrected God for almost 2000 years. So today, of all days, makes me wonder why? In our age of science and reason and over-explanation, why have people hung on to this primitive belief, and more specifically, why do I?

We have all heard that there has been a sharp rise in "nones" over the past decade - people who claim no religious faith. Some of these people, atheists,  claim no belief in any supernatural phenomenon, while others are in that nebulous category of "spiritual but not religious." According to Pew Research, these folks make up only about 23% of the American population (much higher in Europe for some reason). So estimating that maybe 10% are the "spiritual" folks instead of atheists, that means that over 85% of the US population claim some sort of belief in a higher power. Are we all crazy?

I don't think so. After all humans have always had some sort of belief in the supernatural. Scientists are beginning to believe that there is even a God gene, or genetic predisposition, that leads us to this conclusion. All religious belief, from Christianity to Islam to paganism to Zoroastrianism are based upon a belief that there is a conscious being, more powerful than ourselves that exists in the universe and has some bearing on human activity.

But my thoughts today turn specifically to Christianity. Is there anything that makes it a better explanation for our human condition? After all, when you think about it rationally, belief in an all-powerful creator God who incarnated himself as a humble peasant in a backwater Palestinian town seems about as believable as Zeus becoming a swan and impregnating a maiden, or a polytheistic belief in the divinity of all creation.

I suppose most of it is a result of where and when I was born. I was born into a long line of Christian believers - mostly Methodists and Presbyterians, if my genealogical research is to be believed. Having been educated as a youngster into this faith, it's predictable that it is the faith I have chosen. Not that I haven't explored others. As a college student and a seminary student, I've read about other faiths, and I have asked questions of friends and leaders from other faiths. But I've decided to stick with Christianity. So why? I could go into a real theological discussion of Thomas Aquinas and first cause, etc., but that's not why I believe. My thoughts are much more personal.

First, I am comforted by the belief that there is something/someone in the universe who is more powerful, more in control than myself. In times of stress and fear, it makes me feel good to pray to a God who I believe can change outcomes, or at least give me the strength to handle crisis on my own. Because I often don't feel like I can do it on my own.

Secondly, I am drawn to the idea that our Christian God was, at one point, a human being. In the person of Jesus, God experienced all the "feels" that go along with humanity - from hunger and injury to love and loss. We are told about these times in the Gospels. Jesus enjoying time with his friends and family at a wedding, anger at the Pharisees and religious folks who seemed blind to the injustice around them, sadness that he would be leaving his friends and facing death. For me, it comforts me to know that God has sat where I am.

Thirdly, I like the whole salvation narrative. God created the world and humans in it to be in relationship to God. But, in order to be in real relationship, God had to give us free will. And, we really messed up using our free will. God tried lots of things to bring us back - a flood, the laws, the prophets - nothing worked. So God became human and came to teach us. And in the end, died a sacrificial death to "metaphorically" save us from our sin. And now, Christians believe, that our faith in Jesus' life and death, has brought us back into a right relationship with God, to be perfected at some point (our death or a final resurrection, who knows?)

Here's the rub. I know that my Christian narrative is just one of many about God. I choose to believe this one. I think it makes me a better person. It speaks to my sense of justice and love. I honor other narratives just as I honor those who reject all narratives of the supernatural. Do I think you should believe? It's up to you. I would suggest trying it, learning more about a faith, maybe exploring a new one if you've rejected the one you grew up in. Faith in something outside yourself is healthy. It tells you that you are not the center of the universe. It's not all about you. We are all connected, whether we like it or not. Religious faith tells us why and how we are all connected. And once we acknowledge that, it is much harder to treat someone else as less than yourself.

So, Happy All Saints Day! I will try, today and always, to acknowledge those saints (known and unknown) who have contributed to my relationship with God and my fellow humans. Remember, it's all about relationship. So thank a saint today!