"'Have faith in God' Jesus answered." Mark 11:22

'Faith like potatoes' is a film based on a true story of how Angus Buchan, a South African farmer, became a Christian and put all his faith in God, praying for rain and receiving miracles. As I watched this film, a few things became apparent to me about God, and about my faith. One scene in particular struck me as an interesting analogy of how we see God and our own faith. In the scene, a woman had been struck by lightening. God worked through Angus and brought her back to life. I wondered what the woman must have experienced, if she knew she had been dead and raised to life? I thought, probably not, because she was unconscious. And it occurred to me that perhaps that is how we lead our lives; because we exist, and know nothing else, we take life for granted and do not realise that it is only because of God that our lives are sustained. Much like Lamentations 3:21 – 23: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” We have the privilege of waking up every day, not because we so choose, but because God allows it and protects us from things that would otherwise crush us spiritually and physically.


“Your faith should be like potatoes” Angus says in another scene – “smell it, touch it!” Faith should be real, simple, designed for and by God. What an amazingly inspiring way of explaining something that so many people struggle with! I’ve come to understand that God goes much deeper than our faith – much deeper! “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Not only can and does He work according to His own will, and not our desires or faith, but He also works regardless of our perception of faith. And perhaps we are trying to make faith a more complicated thing than it actually is. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18). How simple is that!? We recognise that we believe in Jesus Christ and that He died for our sins (1 John 3:23), and then show it in our deeds. What are those deeds?

“He has shown you, o mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37 – 39).

“This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” (1 John 5:3 – 4)

This implies that love for God is not necessarily an emotion. Emotions are fleeting and unpredictable, but God is never changing. And so our faith shouldn’t be based on emotions either. If we believe, we must act – this is true faith! God gave us a choice to believe or not to believe. Let’s not complicate it. Let’s have faith like potatoes!