What is faith? We are used
to thinking it’s an intellectual acceptance of what we cannot see. But if we go
back to the original Greek that the evangelists used, we get a surprise. The
word is pistis, and it means “to
cling to, to adhere to as with glue.” Now I don’t know about you, but that
grabs me, no pun intended. Faith means we cling to God and God’s Word as a
magnet clings to the refrigerator door. Faith means we “sniff out” where life
is, like the newborn puppy with eyes tight shut, pumping its little legs until
it finds where to nurse. Faith is newly hatched baby birds, eyes tight shut,
and no feathers, with mouths wide open, waiting for the food that comes after
they feel mom or dad land on the branch. Faith is another way of knowing. It is a knowing with another part of our
consciousness. This might be a surprise to an atheist.
Early in our young life we
learn how to use our consciousness to figure things out. We learn problem
solving. We learn to think things through to be responsible. We learn how to
deal with time-space. But beneath that practical reason is just being aware
that we are aware. This is the place of awe, of wonder. This is our
contemplative consciousness. This is where the Light shines, this is where we
come before it in faith. It is knowing what we cannot see. What we cannot see
is real, but our senses cannot grasp it. Here in this deeper level of consciousness,
we do not hold, we are held. We do not figure things out, we are figured out.
We do not grasp, we are grasped. Faith is being held by Mystery…and we don’t
want to let go.
*****
Holy One,
I seek your Light in my darkness.
Shine, and draw me to Yourself
with the bonds of love.
So fix me to Yourself that nothing can pry me loose.
Hold me tight when the winds of doubt blow.
Grasp me by the hand when the waters of sorrow rise
to drown me.
Teach my reasoning mind that faith has reasons
reason doesn’t understand.
Quiet me with the fact that you are God.
