faith

I've been thinking a bit about faith recently. A friend remarked tonight that sports is a religion, to which I countered, "So is Oprah." We all have our "little faiths." But what do I mean by that? The problem comes in our idea of what faith is.

Faith is not belief system, it is not a set of beliefs that we ascribe to. In fact, faith is not simply beliefs, as we have come to distort the word. Faith is not an act of knowledge with a low degree of evidence. Faith is not a just trust either, though that is a vital part of it. It is not just trust in authority, whatever that source may be--the Bible, a religious authority (pope or prophet), tradition. Faith is not a creation of the will either. So what is it?

Faith is our ultimate concern. It is what is absolutely most important to us in life. That is what we have faith in. Faith is not just saying what we believe. It is not just acting along a set of principles. No, it is what we care most about--that is what our faith is in. It's the first commandment. It is the sum greatest command that Jesus gives in Mark 12:30.

What do you care most about? A basketball game? A significant other? A television? Music? Do your life's actions match up with what you would want your answer to be. The Greek word for faith "pistis" and the Hebrew conception of faith has no alternative between faith and faithfulness. They are the same word, they are the same thing. What is your ultimate concern?

Gives new meaning to the phrase "put your faith in Christ Jesus." Also gives a new thought to what doubt looks like in our life. And to what "the Christian faith" is. It's not all so abstract and intellectual as we might have thought. How did we ever get to thinking that???