3 Jul 2026, 10:51Pr Wil MasihInverness, Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom
SPECIAL FEATURE: Faith in a Questioning Age
In this special feature, Pastor Wilfred Masih reflects on Scotland’s changing spiritual landscape and explores how the Big Questions Project is helping churches engage thoughtfully, respectfully and confidently with people searching for meaning, truth and hope.
In an increasingly secular society, many people see little need for beliefs that appear irrational, disconnected from everyday life, or incapable of answering the questions that matter most. Scotland today is shaped by a wide variety of worldviews, individual spirituality, scientific confidence, pluralism and relativism. For many, truth is no longer viewed as something objective to be discovered but something personal to be constructed.
In such a culture, the church cannot assume that people understand Christian language, accept biblical authority or believe that life's deepest questions require spiritual answers. If the gospel is to be heard, Christians must first be willing to listen, understand the questions people are asking, and engage thoughtfully with the assumptions that shape contemporary society.
Yet reason has always been an important part of the Christian faith. Christianity is not an invitation to set aside the mind but to love God with heart, soul, strength and mind. Scripture welcomes honest questions, careful reflection and thoughtful conviction. Faith is not weakened when it is shown to be reasonable; rather, it becomes more compelling when people discover that the gospel speaks meaningfully to questions of identity, suffering, science, purpose, hope and eternity.
This conviction has deep historical roots. The ancient Greek philosophers valued reason, virtue and wisdom as essential guides for life. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius famously wrote, "If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it." Centuries later, the Christian scholar C. S. Lewis observed, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered." Christianity has never needed to fear truth because all truth ultimately belongs to God.
These themes lie at the heart of the Scottish Mission's developing Big Questions Project, an initiative within the apologetics ministry of the Personal Ministries Department that seeks to equip churches to engage thoughtfully with today's increasingly secular society. Rather than beginning with assumptions that many people no longer share, the project encourages Christians to start with conversation, careful listening, respectful dialogue and reasoned discussion.
This vision was demonstrated at a recent Big Questions event held on 28 June at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness. Organised by the Scottish Mission's Discipleship and Evangelism Department, the event brought together members of Inverness Seventh-day Adventist Church alongside guests from the local community who had accepted personal invitations to attend.
The evening opened with an introduction highlighting the importance of engaging confidently with secular society while communicating the Christian faith with humility and respect. Participants were encouraged to build meaningful relationships and have thoughtful conversations with friends and neighbours, offering reasons for faith without confrontation or pressure.
Guest speaker Steve Osmond, from Solas, delivered two engaging presentations. The first explored how Christians can have conversations that genuinely connect with people, while the second addressed one of the most challenging questions facing believers and non-believers alike: the problem of suffering. Both presentations combined careful reasoning with practical guidance, helping those present consider how difficult subjects can be discussed with clarity, compassion and sensitivity.
The presentations were followed by an open question-and-answer session in which attendees explored issues that had not been fully covered during the talks. The discussion created an atmosphere where doubts, concerns and differing perspectives could be expressed honestly and respectfully.
Osmond later remarked that it had been one of the best events at which he had spoken for some time, while feedback from those attending was overwhelmingly positive. The response served as an encouraging reminder that many people remain willing to engage seriously with questions of faith when they are given the opportunity to do so in an open and welcoming environment.
The evening also highlighted an important reality about today's culture. Many people assume that science has now answered all of humanity's most important questions. Christians should welcome scientific discovery rather than fear it, recognising the remarkable insights science has provided into the natural world. At the same time, science cannot answer every question people ask. It can explain processes, but it cannot determine ultimate purpose. It can investigate the material world, but it cannot provide final answers concerning meaning, morality, forgiveness, hope, love or eternal destiny.
For this reason, the Big Questions Project seeks to create safe spaces where people can explore faith without fear of ridicule or judgement. Its purpose is not simply to win arguments but to open doors, build relationships and begin conversations that may ultimately lead people to Jesus Christ.
The Inverness gathering demonstrated that thoughtful apologetics continues to have an important place within the church's mission. As Scotland becomes increasingly secular, opportunities to engage respectfully with honest questions become increasingly important. While the message of the gospel remains unchanged, the way it is communicated must take seriously the experiences, assumptions and questions of those we hope to reach.
Further Big Questions events are planned as part of the Scottish Mission's developing evangelistic strategy. They represent an opportunity for churches across Scotland to engage confidently, compassionately and intelligently with their communities, demonstrating that Christianity is not only spiritually transformative but also intellectually credible.
In an age of complex questions, the church must not be afraid to think, listen and engage. It must speak with confidence, but also with humility. Christian faith does not ask people to abandon reason; rather, it invites people to examine the evidence, consider the alternatives and discover that faith still makes sense in today's world.
In this special feature, Pastor Wilfred Masih reflects on Scotland’s changing spiritual landscape and explores how the Big Questions Project is helping churches engage thoughtfully, respectfully and confidently with people searching for meaning, truth and hope.
In an increasingly secular society, many people see little need for beliefs that appear irrational, disconnected from everyday life, or incapable of answering the questions that matter most. Scotland today is shaped by a wide variety of worldviews, individual spirituality, scientific confidence, pluralism and relativism. For many, truth is no longer viewed as something objective to be discovered but something personal to be constructed.
In such a culture, the church cannot assume that people understand Christian language, accept biblical authority or believe that life's deepest questions require spiritual answers. If the gospel is to be heard, Christians must first be willing to listen, understand the questions people are asking, and engage thoughtfully with the assumptions that shape contemporary society.
Yet reason has always been an important part of the Christian faith. Christianity is not an invitation to set aside the mind but to love God with heart, soul, strength and mind. Scripture welcomes honest questions, careful reflection and thoughtful conviction. Faith is not weakened when it is shown to be reasonable; rather, it becomes more compelling when people discover that the gospel speaks meaningfully to questions of identity, suffering, science, purpose, hope and eternity.
This conviction has deep historical roots. The ancient Greek philosophers valued reason, virtue and wisdom as essential guides for life. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius famously wrote, "If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it." Centuries later, the Christian scholar C. S. Lewis observed, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered." Christianity has never needed to fear truth because all truth ultimately belongs to God.
These themes lie at the heart of the Scottish Mission's developing Big Questions Project, an initiative within the apologetics ministry of the Personal Ministries Department that seeks to equip churches to engage thoughtfully with today's increasingly secular society. Rather than beginning with assumptions that many people no longer share, the project encourages Christians to start with conversation, careful listening, respectful dialogue and reasoned discussion.
This vision was demonstrated at a recent Big Questions event held on 28 June at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness. Organised by the Scottish Mission's Discipleship and Evangelism Department, the event brought together members of Inverness Seventh-day Adventist Church alongside guests from the local community who had accepted personal invitations to attend.
The evening opened with an introduction highlighting the importance of engaging confidently with secular society while communicating the Christian faith with humility and respect. Participants were encouraged to build meaningful relationships and have thoughtful conversations with friends and neighbours, offering reasons for faith without confrontation or pressure.
Guest speaker Steve Osmond, from Solas, delivered two engaging presentations. The first explored how Christians can have conversations that genuinely connect with people, while the second addressed one of the most challenging questions facing believers and non-believers alike: the problem of suffering. Both presentations combined careful reasoning with practical guidance, helping those present consider how difficult subjects can be discussed with clarity, compassion and sensitivity.
The presentations were followed by an open question-and-answer session in which attendees explored issues that had not been fully covered during the talks. The discussion created an atmosphere where doubts, concerns and differing perspectives could be expressed honestly and respectfully.
Osmond later remarked that it had been one of the best events at which he had spoken for some time, while feedback from those attending was overwhelmingly positive. The response served as an encouraging reminder that many people remain willing to engage seriously with questions of faith when they are given the opportunity to do so in an open and welcoming environment.
The evening also highlighted an important reality about today's culture. Many people assume that science has now answered all of humanity's most important questions. Christians should welcome scientific discovery rather than fear it, recognising the remarkable insights science has provided into the natural world. At the same time, science cannot answer every question people ask. It can explain processes, but it cannot determine ultimate purpose. It can investigate the material world, but it cannot provide final answers concerning meaning, morality, forgiveness, hope, love or eternal destiny.
For this reason, the Big Questions Project seeks to create safe spaces where people can explore faith without fear of ridicule or judgement. Its purpose is not simply to win arguments but to open doors, build relationships and begin conversations that may ultimately lead people to Jesus Christ.
The Inverness gathering demonstrated that thoughtful apologetics continues to have an important place within the church's mission. As Scotland becomes increasingly secular, opportunities to engage respectfully with honest questions become increasingly important. While the message of the gospel remains unchanged, the way it is communicated must take seriously the experiences, assumptions and questions of those we hope to reach.
Further Big Questions events are planned as part of the Scottish Mission's developing evangelistic strategy. They represent an opportunity for churches across Scotland to engage confidently, compassionately and intelligently with their communities, demonstrating that Christianity is not only spiritually transformative but also intellectually credible.
In an age of complex questions, the church must not be afraid to think, listen and engage. It must speak with confidence, but also with humility. Christian faith does not ask people to abandon reason; rather, it invites people to examine the evidence, consider the alternatives and discover that faith still makes sense in today's world.
