At the all age service on 4th July I put up a number of 'I believe …' posters around the Church and asked people to walk around, consider them and do the following: If the agreed with the statement, tick the poster; If they disagreed, put a cross on it; If they were unsure or the statement didn't produce a response either way, to do nothing. Here are the statements - why not try for yourself before looking at the responses made by members of the congregation.
I believe …
… in God
… in Fate
… that Jesus walked on water
… Wayne Rooney walks on water
… everyone should have clean safe water
… that the coalition was right to invade Iraq
… in justice for the world's poorest
… in an eye for an eye
… in forgiveness
… in the young people of Worsbrough
… it's all the parents fault
… in life after death
… when I've nothing left God takes over
… in all the colours of the rainbow
… in myself
The following pages show how the congregation responded (I have used 'Y's instead of ticks). The length of the gap between to two answers represents the people chose not to respond for whatever reason. The total number of participants was 44.
I believe …
… in God
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… in Fate
XXXXXXX YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… that Jesus walked on water
XXXXXXXXX YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… Wayne Rooney walks on water
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX YYY
… everyone should have clean safe water
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… that the coalition was right to invade Iraq
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX YYYYYY
… in justice for the world's poorest
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… in an eye for an eye
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX YYY
… in forgiveness
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… in the young people of Worsbrough
XXXXX YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… it's all the parents fault
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX YYYYYYYYYY
… in life after death
XXX YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… when I've nothing left, God takes over
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… in all the colours of the rainbow
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
… in myself
XXXXXXXX YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
It's interesting to consider the different 'types' of belief statement:
I believe in all the colours of the rainbow
At least one person took this to mean a literal belief that the colours exist and make the rainbow. Others interpreted it as meaning that we should celebrate and embrace the wealth of difference there is within the human race. There may have been other interpretations and for some it may have meant nothing. The same expression of belief may mean very different things to different people, even within the same faith tradition.
I believe Jesus walked / Wayne Rooney walks on water
Those who didn't agree with this for Jesus presumably took it to mean a literal physical fact. Those who did agree with this for Wayne Rooney presumably took it as a metaphor for his skill on a football pitch. How are we to decide which way a statement should be understood?
I believe everyone should have access to clean safe water
Whether or not you believe Jesus walked on water what difference will it make to the way you live. If you believe the statement about safe water (or justice for the world's poorest) you should try to make your belief a reality, as far as you are able, otherwise why profess to believe it? Sometimes seeing is believing. In other ways, believing is seeing: I believe in this, so I'm going to try my hardest to see that it comes about.
I believe in myself / the young people of Worsbrough
It's perhaps a little hard to define what this actually means. But this kind of belief (or its absence) surely has a huge effect on how things will go for the people in question.
I believe in God
I've written in a recent magazine on this subject suggesting that this simple statement can carry a broad range of meanings: what is meant by God? What characteristics does God have? What power does God hold and how does it operate in the affairs of our world? It is interesting that many who expressed belief in God also expressed belief in Fate. I wonder how those two beliefs relate to each other for different people who hold them both.
I believe that our beliefs should be worked out fresh for ourselves - not second hand or adopted by default. Each person should wrestle with them for him or her self and then try to be true to them.
