Fifty-five percent of us proclaim a Christian affiliation. But what do we mean by it?
Mark Smith offers some pointers.
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
Over two million New Zealanders affirm Christianity as their religion of choice.
According to the last census, 55.6% of us are affiliated to the Christian religion.
Now, I realise there are a lot of different varieties and types within this broad category, but that's a lot of people declaring some sort connection to Christianity.
The question is, why are so many people still interested in Christianity?
After all, Christianity has a somewhat chequered past.
Many have done atrocious things in the name of Christianity.
With a history of crusades, witch hunts and inquisitions, all done for the cause of Christ, why are so many people still attracted to it?
Or to put it another way, what is at the heart of Christianity that makes it so appealing?
In a nutshell it is "relationship". Christianity claims you can have a relationship with the living God.
The earliest Christian creed, the Apostles Creed, which churches today almost universally endorse, begins with a relational statement.
It says "I believe in God the Father, Almighty maker of the heavens and the earth."
This statement for the Christian is quite profound.
Others find difficulties. Let's consider a couple of the big ones.
Firstly let us look at the issue of origins.
"I believe in God . . . maker of heaven and earth."
This is a faith or belief statement concerning origins.
Every world view, religion or philosophy of life has to respond to the question, where did we come from?
But all these, at some stage, come back to a faith commitment.
The atheist may declare there is no God.
However, the ability of searching the entire natural universe, or multiverses (many universes) as Richard Dawkins theorises, let alone the possibility of a vast supernatural realm, eludes us.
So the declaration "I believe in no God" is a step of faith with a naturalistic assumption.
The Christian takes a step of faith with a supernatural assumption, that God is the maker of heaven and earth.
For the Christian, this means God has an ownership over his creation.
As the Cilician poet Aratus, said in 300BC, "we are also his offspring" or to put it another way, modernising St Augustine, "God has wired us for himself and it is only in connection with Him do we cease to malfunction."
This conviction - God being "maker of heaven and earth" - is the foundation on which the relationship is built.
The second area of struggle I want to address is the concept of God being a Father.
Many struggle with this because of our own fathers: the way we were treated or not treated by a father figure.
Some fathers who have physically and/or sexually abused, shown indifference, been demeaning or controlling, or have been pathetic in their parental responsibility, have caused profound and lasting pain.
Disillusionment and bitterness is often intensified by an inner sense of what a good father should be, and what the father/child relationship should look like.
When Jesus starts using the term Father in reference to God, in an intimate, relational way, the Jews get upset.
But Jesus invites all his followers to have this same intimate relationship. He instructs his followers to use the term "Father".
This is why Jesus Christ came into this world - so that a relationship that is estranged can be restored.
Traditional Christianity begins with an invitation to relationship healing, through Jesus.
So the maker of heaven and earth can be known as Father.
I am guessing that many who ticked the Christian box on census night know what I mean.
•Mark Smith is pastor of Grace Bible Church.
