As we discussed in class, we can't believe just anything anyone says, so how do we decide who to trust? What is it about one person that makes him or her more credible than others? I find it often has to do with character. Lucy has this sound integrity, and although she is a trustworthy individual, it still isn't easy for Peter and Susan to accept her story as truth.
I've been thinking of a Christian parallel with this idea. Just as the four children learn to believe in ideas like talking animals and the power of Aslan, so we believe in ideas like the Trinity and an eternal home. When Lucy first shares these ideas, the child find them utterly bizarre. In the same fashion, why should others believe us when we share our ideas about faith unless they have prior reason to believe us? We are called to be stewards of truth in witnessing not only about Christ but also in anything we do or say. As followers of Christ, we can share our experiences with others to bring encouragement in the faith or to tear them away from anything to do with Christ. Both cause a huge impact.
You raise an interesting question: How do we decide whether someone is credible? We know we can sometimes be taken in by sheer charisma; we're also vulnerable to folks who tell us what we want to hear. How can we do better at trusting those who are truly credible? And how can we be credible ourselves?
ReplyDeleteI also think you're right to suggest that we're often rather like Narnians telling stories about talking animals when we speak to outsiders about our own beliefs.