An Invisible Sky Fairy

“Ah, Christianity, just another religion about a fairy god in the sky.”

This is the view of one of Australia’s leading sports journalists and biographical authors, Peter Fitzsimmons. He is particularly cutting when Christian athletes make claim to the assistance of the almighty in determining the result of a sporting fixture.

His criticism may have some merit, but what is the real issue here?

Is Jesus just like a Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy or the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Is it just the figment of someone’s imagination, who either had too much time in their hands or too much drink in their belly? A god that is a nice story for kids and the gullible, but a load of rubbish that makes no difference to our life?

Whether you buy it or not, Christians claim that God is not just up there and out there. The Bible makes an extraordinary claim that God actually came to earth, lived as a human, died and then came back to life.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Christians don’t believe in a fairy god in the sky. Rather, they believe in a God who actually came to live in real time and space just over 2000 years ago.

This event is attested to not just by the Bible but other ancient sources.

God isn’t distant or a figment of our imagination. In Jesus, we see the God who comes near to us, who knows us, who loves us, and has stretched out his arms in friendship.

Will you accept his offer of friendship? By doing so, you will discover a God who loves you, forgives you, and offers you a life where you don’t need to look to fake fairy sky gods for meaning.

Jim Dayhew was Lead Pastor of Christ Church Anglican Wollondilly.

Jim Dayhew