One reason why true faith fluctuates so much is because it is fundamentally not something for our eyes (cf John 20.29, Rom 10. 17, 2 Cor 5.7, Pet 1.8). We cannot see Jesus here, as the Heidelberg says, “In his human nature Christ is not now on earth” (Q/A 47). Christian faith has to do with trusting in a testimony, a promise, a Word – which are beyond the range of sight. The cry for “show me your glory” is answered in this age with, “be patient, not now.” It is easy for us to stumble because it is hard for us to rest content in the unseen things.
Stephen Webb has an excellent book that explores this “sightless” truth in terms of speaking and sound, mouth and ear instead of eye and object. If you’re interested in homiletics, preaching, Christian faith and speech, and listening (instead of seeing!), be sure to get this book: The Divine Voice: Christian Proclamation and the Theology of Sound (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2004).
Back to believing, not seeing. Listen to the following quotes (from p 31):
“We need to explore the extent to which all aspects of Christian faith are soundful. …Sound is the most fundamental category by which we can conceive of God.”
“Christianity…has a particular sound, an oral quality, not just in the fact that its tradition was originally passed down by word of mouth but also in every Christian’s love for certain words, whether heard, chanted, or sung, and the church’s receptiveness to the idea that the divine can be heard in speech. In fact, our love for certain words is made possible by the reality that God made and loves us through the Word, a Word that had all the specificity of an embodied voice. Without that belief, all words sound alike.”
“The disciples did not seem to care what Jesus looked like, since no physical descriptions of him or likenesses were passed down to later generations. But they cared about his voice. This is especially true in the Gospel of John, which reports that the temple police said, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ (7:46). The disciples witnessed more with their ears than with their eyes…. It was a voice that accomplished what was said without further action, as when Jesus ordered Lazarus to rise from the dead – a scene that echoes the Genesis account of God creating the world by calling it into being.”
“There is…a soundscape to Christian theology, and it is often overshadowed by talk about the landscape of sacred places.” Later Webb goes on to explain that the church is not just a people, but also an acoustical space, a place made by speaking. The church is the place where people are re-made by sound waves from God!
I’ll discuss more of this book at a later date. For now, let me just say it is a pretty exciting read. Webb talks about theo-acoustics, the “sounds” of Luther, Calvin, Barth, etc., as well as the fact that the “visualness” of our culture has robbed the church of her distinct sound. Webb has a penetrating critique of how churches use media (p 212-219). One more thing: the book is not terribly complicated. I’m pretty sure the average layperson who is a “reader” will benefit from this book.
shane lems
sunnyside wa
