Words, Crazy Words
A Sweet mix of the secular and sacred
A Word on Wednesday: Faith
Faith isn’t something we feel; it is something we trust. It is one of the gifts God gave us.
“God gave us faith, hope, and love,” 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Faith, as a noun, is a belief that is not based on proof. It is confidence in a person or thing. Faith can mean a belief in God or anything such as a code of ethics, standards of merit.
One day, my teenager told me he finds it awkward to be growing up in a Christian family, because he is an atheist. This was not a shocking revelation. Or even unexpected. Teenagers rebel.
Yet it takes faith to believe in the absence of God just as it takes faith to believe in the presence of God.
I cannot prove to my son that God exists. I am not a theologian. I also struggle to be evangelical, to bring additional believers to know God. I could waste my time presenting evidence. But, of course, there is no proof that there is a God, only indications and signs.
My child cannot prove that God doesn’t exist. Though, this aspiring debater sure likes to try. And, there are plenty of ways to demonstrate the lack of a spiritual creator.
I decided we will agree to disagree. Just as teens believe they do not need algebra, they still learn it. My teen will learn about the Christian faith. I believe, when he is thirty, he’ll need to draw upon his basic mathematical education for deductive decision making. I also believe, he may find a time to draw upon his teaching of God to garner hope, joy, and peace. And, yes, I hope he will find faith.
My faith has been affirmed. That happens. Evidence is attributed to support the belief. I have felt God most strongly witnessing birth, death, and loving celebrations. I also feel him in watching the work of the faithful to aid fellow man.
I have never held the belief that God didn’t exist. Yet, my faith has meandered. There was a time my views were agnostic. Did it really matter if there was or wasn’t a God?
At present, I am an affirmed believer. I ask myself, if God doesn’t exist, what exactly is the point of life. It is easier to live in faith and try to follow the teachings of Jesus, than to live without faith in pursuit of happiness.
WiscoPoet
Words, Crazy Words 