Where does faith kick in for you?

For many, faith is the choice to trust in a particular religious tradition and its teachings even when such trust is difficult—even when such trust seems almost impossible. This might include believing in a literal interpretation of many faith events in the face of rational arguments to the contrary: a six-day creation, super-natural miracles by Jesus and others, or even the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Faith kicks in at the point of choosing to believe, to trust, despite what others might say.

For many, faith is the choice to trust that God exists and is actively behind all the events of life. It is the choice to believe in a divine causation even though we allow for different interpretations of those events such as creation, miracles, and even the resurrection.  Faith kicks in at the point of trusting that God is present and active and also that God's ways are mysterious to us— often confounding all explanations and interpretations.

For some, faith is the choice to hang on to the belief that God exists amidst a great deal of disbelief. When the weight of rational explanation seems to drive away every religious tenet, including many they agree probably need to be driven away, there remains a core of trust in the Divine at the heart of the universe. Faith kicks in just at the point that we would otherwise slide into oblivion.

Faith is a gift of trust, endurance, perspective, and belief. It kicks in when it needs to kick in for each person, but not before. Faith that kicks in before it is absolutely needed can actually prevent us from taking risks or from being open to the new thing that may be happening to us and in our lives. In my experience, there people on the journey of faith that represent each of these approaches. My own theological development has always been guided by the priority of honoring each one perspective.

Faith requires of us these four things:

·         Believe that God is working in and through each person

·         Respect each journey: the journey of each person and my own journey

·         Perceive that, in a mysterious and mystical way, God is working in us to grow and become more spiritually mature

·         Trust that, even as God is before all things and in all things, we are each giving birth to God in our lives

Thanks for continuing to bless me as we journey together.
  
Jack Price

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