Magical Belief vs Mystical Faith
Last week I read the story about, Rev. Gerlad O. Glenn, a pastor in Virginia who disobeyed the “stay safer at home” and “social distancing” directive. Against the orders of the governor of Virginia, he proudly showed off how packed his church was — and vowed to keep preaching “unless I’m in jail or the hospital.”
During his church service on March 22, this pastor got his congregation to stand up to prove that he had more than ten people in the pews, despite warnings against gatherings of more than people.
“I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that,” he said, repeating it a second time to applause from the congregation, saying that “people are healed” in his church.
Happily announcing he was being “controversial” by being “in violation” of safety protocols — with “way more than 10 people” at the church, he said: “I am essential worker…I’m a preacher — I talk to God!”
Do you know what happened to this preacher? On Sunday, April 5th, his church announced “with an exceedingly sorrowful and heavy heart” that the pastor had died a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
I am sad the pastor died. I take no pleasure in reporting that he died of Corona virus infection. But the story makes me think about religion and faith in this country.
I m appalled at the religious arrogance, biblical ignorance and foolish faith being displayed by many religious people.
So the question I like to ask today is: Can your religious faith protect you from Corona virus?
Does it mean you won’t get the virus, or does it mean even if you get it you won’t die from it?
What kind of faith do you need for that? If faith can’t save you from something serious like this, why have faith at all?
The Virginia pastor definitely had faith. He was a preacher for more than 40 years. He claimed that he talked directly with God.
The kind of faith this preacher had is called magical belief, a faith that sees God as a big magician, who will help us in our ignorance, regardless of how foolish we behave. There are millions of Christians who listens to preachers like him.
The guy holding the sign at an anti-social distancing rally in Michigan last week, which said, “Jesus will protect me” is displaying magical faith.
The catholic priest who held up a host and said, “the body of Christ is my PPE” is displaying magical faith.
Rev. Rodney Howard-Browne, the megachurch pastor who got arrested in Tampa two weeks ago, was preaching magical faith.
Magical faith gives you false hope.
Magical faith is tooth fairy-believing, Santa Claus affirming, talking-snake trusting, sky-God praising childish faith and it will not help you in times of crisis.
I believe that faith can help you at all times. I also believe that only faith can save you in trying times like these. I am going to share with you what kind of faith can save you during this pandemic, by sharing with you the stages of faith as explained by a theologian, James Flower. In 1981, he published a groundbreaking book on the subject of human spiritual growth. The book is called Stages of Faith: the Psychology of Human Development. Fowler suggested six stages of faith development from infancy to adulthood, parallel to human development. Fowler’s work has helped me to assess my own spiritual journey and aspire to a higher stage of spiritual growth.
It is Fowler’s contention that movement from one stage to the next is usually precipitated by some form of crisis such as death, divorce, serious illness, a traumatic experience, etc. Such situations cause people to ask questions about the meaning and purpose of their lives. The search for answers to these questions often precipitates a spiritual crisis. The crisis forces the individual to move from one stage of faith to the next in order to answer the questions and alleviate the distress caused by the crisis. Or they remain frozen in crisis, and never explore new spiritual frontiers.
So in what stage of faith should we be in to face Ovid 19, the biggest crisis our life time? I am going to briefly explain the six stages. As you listen, look out for which stage you may be in right now.
For the purposes of this sermon, I am going to use simple words instead of the scholarly words Fowler uses to describe each stage of faith.
Stage 1: Magical faith, a stage in which children begin to use symbols and imaginations. This is the stage where they believe that God is an old man with a white beard and Santa Claus and tooth fairy are real. I see this stage of faith when I meet with the preschool children every month. I have to say, sadly, many grown ups still live in that stage.
Stage 2: Literal faith, in which information is organized into literal, concrete stories. Believing that Adam and Eve are real humans who lived in history like Abraham and Sarah, is an example of this stage. There is little ability to step back from the story and formulate a deeper meaning of the story. Many grown people remain in this stage throughout their lives.
Stage 3: Group faith. People in this stage are “conformists” and find comfort in belonging to a group. They have not critically examined their beliefs and finds comfort in being part of a group such as a church. People in this stage are not very open to questions because questions are frightening at this point of development. People in this stage place a large amount of trust in external authority figures like the pope, the rabbi or the pastor. I was in that stage until I was 37 years old as a priest in the catholic church. I was afraid to challenge some of the teachings of the church, for fear of excommunication from church.
Stage 4: Reflective or Personal faith. This is when they move from a group faith to a personal faith. At this stage, a person dares to think outside the box. People in this stage ask questions and see the contradictions or problems in their beliefs. For example, if accepting Jesus as your personal savior is required for salvation, will those who don’t accept Christ as their savior be damned? If so how can a loving God send a billion Chinese people to hell? These are serious questions. This can be a very painful stage as old ideas are now modified and sometimes rejected outright. Some people give up on faith altogether at this point; but faith can be strengthened in this stage as beliefs become explicitly, personally held. There is a strong reliance logic, and rationality at this stage. It is when I reached this stage that I left priesthood, because I had to leave behind the group faith of the Catholic Church.
Stage 5: Mystical faith. This is a way of seeing, of knowing, and of living that takes you to a level where you stop thinking about life as black and white or good and bad. You begin to accept and appreciate parables, symbols, stories, ironies, mysteries, paradox and metaphors and begin to look beyond the superficial aspects of things. People in this stage has an open mind to see both or many sides of an issue simultaneously. In this stage, you are able to hold on to your beliefs, and at the same time appreciate faith traditions and practices of others. At this stage you have the humility to accept that your faith may be incomplete or even inaccurate. There is a willingness to go within, trust your instincts and commune with the god who lives in the inner recesses of your heart. The scripture verse “Be still and know that I am god” becomes real for you.
Stage 6: Sacrificial faith: This person has reached a stage which is characterized by two distinct qualities: Unity and inclusiveness. At this stage they develop a planetary consciousness and the welfare of the entire planet is the focus. It is marked by compassion and a disregard for self-preservation. They see the whole world as their community and they are radically committed to justice, inclusiveness, and unconditional love. Persons in his stage are ready for fellowship with persons at any of the other stages of faith and from any other faiths.
According to Fowler, only a handful of people throughout history have achieved this stage; martyrs like Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Jesus was at Stage 6 faith of development when he made the decision to go to the cross for the salvation of the world rather than avoid the pain, humiliation, and death on the cross.
So in what stage of faith are you today as you go through this pandemic?
You will go through this crisis, with the least amount of damage, and even escape contracting this virus, if you can develop your spirituality and graduate to the sixth stage of faith.
Because, at stage 6 faith, your immune system is at its best because you are not living in fear, anxiety, depression or desolation. A mature faith and spiritual vision of the world will help you deal with all difficult situations in life without falling apart.
Here I disagree with Fowler’s opinion that only a handful historical figures have reached that stage. I believe that all of us are mentally capable of reaching that stage, if not behaviorally.
Like Jesus, we may not die on a cross, but we will carry our daily crosses more gracefully and less grudgingly.
I also believe that the heroic doctors, nurses and first responders, who are risking their lives daily to serve and save others from Covid 19, are displaying stage six, sacrificial faith.
I believe that we are invited to grow into that kind faith, by our call to discipleship. Apostle Thomas shows us the way to that kind faith. (Read John 20:24–30)
Based on this story, Thomas has been called the doubting Thomas, which I think is an unfair title for this brave apostle. If you read the gospels closely,you will find that all the apostles doubted the resurrection. Mt 28: 16 says: “All of them still doubted the resurrection.”
Thomas was honest about his feelings and did not pretend to believe in things he didn’t understand. He did not believe that which he did not experience himself, just because he can fit into the the group. He had the audacity to ask questions, he had the courage to move from group faith of stage three to the personal faith of stage four. That is why he said: “Unless I see the mark of his nails in his hand and put my hand into the nail marks, I will not believe.”
Look at how Jesus responds to that seemingly unbelieving and arrogant demand. Jesus does not get upset with Thomas, chastise him or punish him. Jesus does not rebuke his disciple’s questioning mind. He invites Thomas to explore and find out for himself.
According to the story, Thomas does not touch the wound of Jesus. Seeing the risen Christ and hearing his invitation was enough for Thomas to believe, and at that moment he moved from personal faith to sacrificial faith. According to tradition, Thomas traveled to India, preached the gospel there and was martyred in a place called Madras in Southern India.
I owe my christian faith to Apostle Thomas. If not for Thomas, I won’t be standing here today.
We are an Easter people and we are called to resurrection faith. By the way, resurrection faith is another name for, stage six faith, mystical-sacrificial faith.
Resurrection faith is not cheap faith. It is not childish, superficial or magical faith. Resurrection faith was tested in the deep darkness of the garden of Gethsemane. Resurrection faith was pressed down under the weight of the cross, resurrection faith was drenched in sweat, soaked in blood and purified through suffering. Resurrection faith was strong enough to defy authorities, destroy evil and defeat death.
We are invited to draw on that faith during this pandemic. If you are not there yet, use this time of quarantine to examine your faith. Try to leave childish, mythical, and magical beliefs behind you and grow into mystical faith and live a sacrificial life, and you will face every crisis in your life, including Covid 19, with peace and grace.
