Faith Over Facts

Mar 7, 2026 | By Sadie Shank GSAS ‘26

Recently, I’ve been reading Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. Lewis is famous for carefully explaining Christianity. He lays out arguments about morality, human nature, and what they might suggest about God. For someone who likes reasoning things out, it’s comforting. It makes faith feel a little sturdier.

I think a lot of us want that. We want Christianity to be provable.

We want the right argument, the right evidence, the right explanation that will finally make everything click. If we can just explain it clearly enough, maybe belief will follow automatically. I used to feel like this. In a way, I still do. I would imagine that if I could just hear the right argument or the right reason, I would suddenly lose any doubt and the world would make sense for once.

Books like Mere Christianity are valuable for exactly that reason. They remind us that faith is not irrational. Christianity is not afraid of questions, philosophy, or doubt. In fact, throughout history many believers have loved God not only with their hearts but also with their minds. Thoughtful arguments can clear away misunderstandings and show that belief in God isn’t as naive as people sometimes assume.

But reading Lewis has also made me realize something else. Even the best argument eventually reaches a limit.

You can reason your way to the possibility of God. You can argue that Christianity makes sense of the world. You can show that belief is intellectually responsible. But at some point, faith stops being a problem you solve and starts becoming a step you just have to take.

And maybe that’s not a flaw in Christianity. Maybe that's the point.

Lent is a season that reminds us we are not in control. It calls us to humility, repentance, and trust. In some ways, trying to prove Christianity can even become a way of keeping faith at a distance. If I can solve everything first, then I never have to risk trusting God. I never have to admit that belief involves vulnerability.

The disciples didn’t follow Jesus because they had worked out every theological detail. They followed because, somehow, they trusted Him.

I’m grateful for writers like C. S. Lewis who show that Christian belief has depth and reason behind it. Those arguments matter and they have helped me in times of deep uncertainty. But eventually the path still asks something of us. While the arguments may help us to stand more firmly, we need more than facts and figures to go the extra mile. We need faith.

Lent is a good time to remember that following Christ was never meant to feel like winning a debate. It’s more like taking a step forward, even when you don’t have every answer yet.