Most people have beliefs or a philosophy, but it is faith - "the substance of things not seen" - that answers the most pressing questions, suggests Mark Buckle.
When it comes down to it, we are all philosophers.
Sure, not everyone has a studied and methodical approach to their philosophy, but we all have our beliefs. These beliefs range from the most simple events and experiences in life to the cosmos itself.
We all need a philosophy which provides context or a grid for the world we live in.
We are, in varying degrees, rational and thoughtful people who cannot pass through experiences without considering their implications. Oh that we could let go of some things we experience! How good would it be to put bad things behind us and forget about disappointments and failure.
However, this is how it is, isn't it? While a degree of discipline will help, can you remember the last day that was completely untainted by reflective thinking about something said, done or experienced that didn't go right? It seems such a waste of our relatively short lives to agonise over something we cannot change, but it is simply part of our human make-up.
Do animals lament, regret, or replay events in their minds? An animal psychologist would enlighten us, no doubt, but I strongly suspect that they don't - at least, not to the degree we can and do.
Maybe that's why animals have a stronger sense of instinct, rather than philosophy.
This is not to put them down.
If, lost in a jungle, I had to choose between the survival potential of a tiger's instinct over an unproven and badly grounded philosophy, I would choose the tiger's capacity every time.
Why do we have to rationalise so much? Why can't we humans just settle on "track record" proven instincts and stick with them? As has been well said, the one thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.
Many long-held personal philosophies have been, or should have been, shaken and disturbed by recent events.
We are still feeling the pain and rallying support for our people in Christchurch, while horrific events strike Japan, civil disorder erupts in North Africa and the Middle East on a massive scale, and war continues in so many places that news agencies barely register their existence.
People ask me, "Is the end of the world near?" ... which I love to address, due to my particular biblical philosophy.
However, philosophy is one thing, reality is another . . . though our philosophy may indeed be a true reflection of reality. However, in isolation, philosophies can be cold and sterile.
In the presence of loss, particularly loss of life, such vacuous ideals seem redundant.
We then resort to what really works.
Catastrophic events have no "prescribed" outcome on beliefs. Some people are shaken towards faith in God while others may be hardened by the same event.
Many look for safety in scientific fact and understanding, which is not a bad thing, but science alone cannot answer all our questions and remove our fears.
Life is more than facts and instinct.
The basis of my philosophy, in light of recent disasters, is still grounded in a belief in God, the Creator, revealed in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ.
Close behind this is the fact that life is precious and very fragile.
We tend to live as though we will be here forever.
We can't really comprehend when time, as we know it, will no longer exist.
But the reality is that we will all die. I hope all my readers live a long and happy life, but death is an appointment we will all keep. We just don't know when.
Our physical bits will break down and return to the soil, but if life is only chemicals and organic matter, why are we all so aware of our sense of being? Why do we so deeply miss those we loved who have left us? We knew it would be their turn sooner or later.
At the centre of our being, we are all more than mere thoughts and philosophy.
I believe my philosophy is quite robust, but it does not satisfy every detail.
"Faith is the substance of things not seen."
It does give clarity as far as the big picture is concerned, but there are still gaps.
By faith, I can live with the unknowns, but one question really does bug me: how can people live with such being and not recognise a God who created them so?
- Mark Buckle is pastor of Fernhill Church on Stafford.
