Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14, NIV)
We often sing “Jesus loves me, this I know” and “Jesus loves the little children” to our grandchildren. This is a rudimentary form of Christian nurture planting the core idea that a simple, childlike faith is basic to one’s spiritual formation. Children are open, eager to learn, and hopefully raised in an environment of trust and love that encourages a healthy faith. However, as a child grows, the challenge is to build upon that simple, childlike faith.
In our lives, we experience events, people, and circumstances that provide the incentive for growth in our faith. Although we don’t always seize those opportunities, they are there, nonetheless. We can only benefit from them if we not only experience them but see them through the eyes of a faith that seeks to grow.
Sometimes these experiences come through relationships. Being a friend, finding a life mate, becoming a parent, being part of a faith community immerse us in experiences that both enrich and challenge us. From a personal perspective, becoming a parent and then a grandparent changed my understanding of God as a loving parent.
There are experiences that shatter our long-held suppositions about life and existence. They cause us to question or doubt our faith. Paul Tillich once said, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith. “When the disciple Thomas expressed doubt, he was simply struggling to make sense of something he had never experienced before. Once he did, his faith grew.
When we are gifted with a new perspective or point of view, our faith may develop in new and unexpected ways. When Saul experienced the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, he was given the opportunity not only to move from physical blindness to sight, but to see his faith in a new way.
Moving outside of our comfort zone can challenge our faith. We may choose those opportunities or have them thrust upon us. Paul had his mind made up about where he would go on this second missionary journey, but a vision from God led in a new direction. This was not the easy path but the necessary path.
Finally, exposure to nature, art, music, or literature can push us to engage our imagination and to think about our faith in new and unexpected ways. As we see the beauty of God’s creation or engage with the creations of others, we are immersed in new ways of thinking that are not always comfortable.
James Fowler provided a model for stages of faith. In his approach, he does not implicitly argue that one stage of faith is better than another. He does present the idea that when we experience something that is new, difficult, or enlightening, we may question our faith. This offers us the opportunity to move our faith in a new direction rather than to remain at the same point. Is faith that does not grow a stagnant faith? I don’t think that Fowler would make that statement. I would argue, however, that a faith that grows can bring one increased joy and fulfillment in life.
Faith is a gift, but not one to be protected or hoarded. Faith that grows benefits both the believer and the lives of the people she or he touches.
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