“I Will Tell” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

Last week I shared a video clip of Bear Gryll’s promotion of Alpha called “My Greatest Adventure” and this week I would like to share an article “Unleash a Greater Power” that Bear wrote in the magazine GQ.

Sir Robin- Knox Johnson the famous round the world sailor is alleged to have said “There is no such thing as an atheist in the Southern Ocean.” I have also heard it paraphrased to include the “Death Zone” on Everest.

I am sure there have been plenty of atheists in both places but the point he made, and I agree is that when we are truly afraid and there is no one around to help us, to possess a quiet faith can give us persistence, light and courage that is so much greater than simply ourselves. In short faith can make us strong. Just look at how many inspirational figures of generations gone by, who gave and endured so much were sustained and encouraged by their faith.

But what is faith? Is it real and does it matter? Can it make a difference to the everyday grind of life? I can only talk from experience. For me having a Christian faith can be difficult to articulate. It’s like describing ice cream or swimming- it has to be tried to be felt. But in a nutshell my faith tells me that I am known, that I am secure and that I am loved- regardless of the storms I may find myself in from time to time, regardless of how often I fall and fail.

In my life I have yet to meet a man or woman not open to being loved and forgiven. Who doesn’t want to find peace or live with joy overflowing? But I meet so many people who do not want “religion” as such. I get it- I feel the same. And in fact so did Jesus, the heart of all Christian faith. Faith and religion are not the same thing.

The Jesus I read about in the Bible was fun, free and wild. He loved a party and he always hung out with the non -religious folk. The only people he ever got angry with were the overly religious types.

Faith does not mean you have to be overly “religious” and it certainly is not about churches or feeling judged for our flaws. To quote the man himself Jesus said He was all about life: living it freely and lightly and learning the unforced rhythms of grace.

For many years I tried to do without it ………………………………………………………………… TBC