What is Faith?
Faith is a big topic. We all come at it from a different point of view. We all experience it in a unique way, specific to who we are.
Here’s one definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 13:1). It’s the reason Abraham left his home land in search of a promised land with no map to the final destination. Faith is the reason some take a stand and are willing to say yes to God, even it means loss or even death for saying so.
But while faith is seen in the actions we take and the choices we make,
above all, faith is relational.
It is trusting God to be true to the promises made. It’s trusting that Love overcomes all and remains always available, ready, and working to reconcile the world to a place of wholeness and peace one life at a time. Faith is about knowing the Divine, more than the doctrines. It is trusting the very personal presence of God even as God trusts me to be my true self, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Or as Thomas Merton said it, “For me, to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is, in fact, the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self.”
Faith is always about coming home to God, to self, and to others through love.
Faith has no easy answer or definition in my experience, due to the complexity of our human propensity to think and rethink and search for meaning in all things. Faith allows space for doubt to take a breath and lead us forward to a deeper understanding of knowing God. Faith allows space for fears to turn into lament that ultimately returns to God.
How do you define faith? What has the faith journey felt like and looked like for you? That journey likely includes many joys, rest stops along the way, but also a few potholes, losing our way, or completely running out of fuel to move ahead. My door is open and I’m always welcoming new individuals into spiritual direction to roll out the map of your journey, see where you are, linger at a rest stop, and oasis, or look ahead to the next stage of the journey. Contact me via email, or schedule a time on line here:
