At the moment there are buses on the streets of some parts of the UK that carry the slogan, “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”… I haven’t seen any such buses in this part of the world - and I rather suspect they won’t find their way on to our streets - but the publicity has certainly reached here. I expect the slogan is making some people think. That’s a bit ironic since its message might seem to encourage us not to think! There will be some who read that “there’s probably no God” and who will take “now stop worrying” as an excuse not to give any more thought to the meaning and purpose of our existence. But others may well wonder why the issue needs to be raised in the first place. I am reminded of a man in a certain country who was handed a leaflet warning him against Christian missionaries. He wondered what people were so bothered about and decided he should investigate Christianity for himself. The outcome was that he became a believer in Jesus ...

Years ago another man told me his story. Every morning before he went to work he would take the dog for a walk. Bright and early he would head out beyond the town into the country. He told me he would sometimes shout out something like, “God, are you there?” Since then he had come to a living faith in Jesus Christ. Back then I remember thinking, “Never judge a book by its cover” as I realised there could be lots of people asking his question.

But for Christians there is maybe another irony about the slogan on those buses. The slogan could be taken to suggest that life without God is carefree whereas believing in God makes for life-inhibiting anxiety. Maybe too many Christians fail to give the lie to that notion. Jesus knew our habit of worrying. He said to his disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled, believe in God and believe in me.” He also told them not to be anxious because their Father in heaven knew what they needed. They should instead make it their business to pursue what He wanted on earth.

Many stories are told of Martin Luther, the sixteenth century Christian reformer and of his wife, Katharina, a wonderfully wise and resourceful Christian woman. On one occasion Luther became greatly troubled and depressed over some matter. After several days his wife appeared dressed in mourning. “Who has died?” asked Luther. “God.” replied his wife. Luther angrily asked her how she could think such a thing. “From the way Dr. Luther was acting,” she replied, “I assumed God must have died.” On that occasion Luther’s life was communicating something like “there’s probably no god” - at least not the God who has made himself known in Jesus Christ. If we believe in the God and Father of Jesus we will find ourselves called to learn to believe in Him in all of life.

Our Church’s catechism begins by asking, “What is the chief end of man?” (I suppose you could translate that as, “What is the real purpose of human life? What are we really here for?”) It then supplies the answer, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever.” Most of us know what it means to enjoy something, but what would it mean to “glorify God and to enjoy him for ever”? At the very least it would surely mean to be so impressed or awed or delighted or overwhelmed by God that our whole lives change in response to him. The God and Father of Jesus Christ invites us to taste and see that he is good. Jesus himself said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” A psalm in the Bible encourages us with the amazing words, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I once heard an English clergyman say, “There are three cardinal rules of the spiritual life. Number one: Don’t fret. Number two: Love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. Number three: Don’t fret.” I need to hear that over and over again. St Paul expressed this prayer, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It would be a bit long for a slogan - never mind for the side of a bus! - but it would surely glorify God if His people conveyed this message: “Love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and don’t worry - live!”

February 2009.