Faith

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11: 1-2

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

I don’t think of myself as a control freak but I am a planner. I think most of us feel more secure when we somehow feel we have control over our lives, situations, and decisions; “control”, in that, our perception of how the world is and should be is right, tidy, agreeable, and comfortable (and we set it up that way!).

Brene’ Brown invited guest, Father Richard Rohr, to her podcast, Unlocking Us. In the episode, Spirituality, Certitude, and Infinite Love, he says, “Many religious folks insist on answers that are always true. We love closure, resolution, and clarity, while thinking we are people of faith. How strange that the very word, faith, has come to mean its’ exact opposite. It’s come to mean, “if I have faith, I am right.” The egos need to feel separate and superior. And if you follow those voices you might go to church but you’ll never be a spiritual person. They want a new way to be right…to be “right for God”, as if God needs that.” (Surely, he’s referring to the “other guy”, not me, right? Or is he?)

Certitude is the freedom from doubt, especially in matters of faith or opinion; certainty. Kate Bowler states, “Precarity is a state of being uncertain. Things are given but then taken away. It describes the contingency of uncertainty; when we just don’t know when things are going to get better. How do we live IN to hope? How do we live inside uncertainty, without trying to imagine it’s something we’ll ever get over? How do we live inside things we can’t change; live inside the “not-yetness” of the kingdom of God?”

Kate asks, “When have you seen someone living beautifully inside of things they couldn’t change? What inspires you about their example?” The bible is full of these examples. Read about the faith of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, and Moses in Hebrews, chapter 11? For them, was it about being right or faithful? Was it easy? Certainly, no. Did they have doubts? Of course.

If our faith is in our control, we will always come up short. If our faith is in the one who holds the controls, we will be sustained. When we humble ourselves and surrender our control to God, we will receive infinite love, hope, and compassion and realize our hope is in the certainty of Christ. God’s peace flows over us, even in the midst of our doubt, pain, waiting, and plans. Our hearts and minds can be opened when we rely on our faith in the Almighty, rather than in our control.

In the prayer offered by Kate Bowler:

God, Give us faith to live here, inside lives we did not choose. Give us the courage to see things a little more clearly, and the language of gentle honesty. As our ties to certainty are loosened, may you surprise us with the certainty of Your love and expressions of hope unimagined. Amen

Diane Worrell Eaton