FAITH?

Sitting in the hotel lobby, ready to depart for the The Royal Albert Hall, gives me a chance to reflect on the last 24 hours. Catching up with the guys in Third Day again yesterday was good fun, and the highlight was a trip down to Speakers Corner in Hyde Park with Tai, Dave Jaques and Wheels ( 2 crew guys). Seeing the 15 or so varied speakers on their soapboxes ( actually their step-ladders) was fascinating. Muslims were arguing with Christians, Christians debating with humanists, and there was a liberal sprinkling of nutters on parade as well. Unfortunately, much of the debate lacked any grace or compassion, but Tai made the perceptive comment that we were witnessing the great world-wide questions discussed and debated in a public park in the middle of London by a bunch of ordinary people. It wouldn't happen anywhere else in the world- you'd be arrested for causing a public nuisance or for blasphemy.
We gathered together later in the evening for a short devotion on faith. At the New Wine conference last week, Andy Hawthorne from The Message, in Manchester, had highlighted the fact that in the gospels the only two occasions that Jesus himself is amazed ( as opposed to him amazing others) was in response to faith- the lack of faith of his hometown and the great faith of the Roman centurion. We talked about what our faith was for this 4 concert tour of the UK and asked God to increase our faith. We'd much rather Jesus be amazed at our great faith, than amazed at our lack of it. Another great quote about faith from Bill Johnson: " Sometimes faith can start when you simply begin to doubt your own doubt."