Faith or Folly?

Bunia boasts many half-completed buildings. But it's difficult to figure out if the buildings are on the way up or on the way down.

Because of war damage, termite activity, decay, neglect, abandonment, many buildings are indeed on the way down. But in this post-war situation there are many buildings on the way up. People are building with a vengeance. New houses are appearing. Not your two-up-two-down square box terrace house but complicated structures of fancy design. All this is encouraging to see, and it lifts the morale. However, many of those buildings - both pre- and post- war - are no more than foundations, and one wonders if they'll ever rise above ground level.

It makes one think of Jesus' caution: "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everybody who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'" (Luke 14:28-30)

And among those incomplete buildings are several church projects. They were proposed and begun in good faith: God will provide. But the size of the foundations seems testament to folly rather than faith.

The question: "Is it faith or is it folly?" plagues other projects besides those of bricks and mortar. Especially projects to study. "But what about your school fees?" God will provide. "What about the family you're leaving behind?" God will provide. "What about accommodation?" God will provide.

What about food? God will provide. Will God provide? Isn't it a bit like Jesus being tempted to jump from the temple to make God provide an angelic safety net? Isn't it forcing God's hand?

Yet what about risk? Is there no place for that in the Christian life?

Didn't Jesus himself urge his followers to lose their lives? Isn't the New Testament full of examples of people stepping out in faith dependent on God to provide? And God did provide.

Maybe the difference in approach depends on personality - some people are able to live with more uncertainty than others. Cultural factors also have a bearing on this matter. In Africa, it's not possible to prepare all the building materials before one can build. The process of building IS the savings account. And if one didn't start one would never begin.

And yet this launching out in building projects and study programmes - depending on God - sometimes means that one is forcing the hand of God's people. Is that faith?

I don't know. The question perturbs me. I do not find an easy answer. I do, however, find some consolation in Jesus' statement: "Wisdom is proved right by her action." Matthew 11:19.

Blessings,

Bridget Howard