Where is your faith?
I feel a need to respond to a vicious rumor going around that I have ‘denounced [my] faith’.
I guess the way to appropriately answer this question without going on a defensive tirade about how ridiculous that accusation is, would be to raise a question, ‘What is your definition of faith?’. And furthermore, ‘Where is YOUR faith?’
Personally, I don’t define ‘faith’ as a system of beliefs or a religion. Those things are what they are: belief systems and religion. I find, that even the Bible, which most Protestant Christians would affirm as the Supreme authority for life, would disagree with the thought that ‘faith’ is synonymous with ‘religion’.
In a recent post on my ‘formspring’ profile, I responded to a comment someone left saying something to the effect of his/her not being a Christian, but ‘respecting the amount of faith [I] have.’
This was honestly humbling. I replied honestly, telling this person that I don’t even call myself a ‘Christian’ anymore; Not because I am ashamed of or disagree with Christ, but because I am shamed and DO disagree with a lot that that label represents (hate, judgment, unforgiveness, gossip, condemnation) and I’m sure there’s a list of things that I represent that they don’t, so its not fair to either of us for me to continue to wear that label.
But, the problem is not necessarily with Christianity. As I’ve gotten older and experienced life, I’ve found that I have a serious problem with labels altogether.
I was raised in a very conservative home, which I am very thankful for as an adult. My parents always voted Republican and my church seemed to always encourage that way of voting. This caused me to have in my mind that this political party somehow represented the Christian belief system the most. It wasn’t until the last election that I discovered that this way of thinking is asinine. Could there not be a single man that values the same things I value that I can vote for that doesn’t necessarily represent the political party that I was raised to believe was the representative of my religion? I found the answer to be, ‘Oh! Maybe!?!?!’
This way of thinking caused me to challange a lot of the things I ascribed myself to. Maybe I shouldn’t be ‘republican’. Maybe I should just be me. And vote for the people who share the same values. Maybe I shouldn’t be ‘conservative’. Maybe I should just be me and live my life in accordance with the values I’ve found truth in. Maybe I shouldn’t be ‘Christian’. Maybe I should just hold on to my beliefs and again live my life in accordance with the Truth that I’ve found.
Out-be-it, there is some danger in ‘individual thinking’. I do believe that there needs to be some sort of accountability in our thoughts, emotions, and decision making processes. I don’t believe that one human being is strong enough within his own power to have 100% accuracy with these things. But, the insight of different perspectices and wisdom can be great tools used in decision making and the such.
This leads us to today. One of my best friends, a part of my wolfpack, is what most people would consider an ‘agnostic’. He and I disagree on a lot of our ‘beliefs’, but we do agree on our ‘values’.
I have found that everyone has ‘faith’ in something. And a lot of people have put their faith in fallible things, making everyone’s journey a ‘leap of faith’. So therein lies the question, ‘Where is your faith?’ I found for myself that my faith lay in a lot of things that would eventually hurt me, and without realizing it, had hurt me already. I had put my faith in ‘Christianity’. Out-be-it, there are many great, sincere, genuine, loving, forgiving, caring people who are self proclaimed Christians. But, can we not say the same about Buddhists, Muslims, and many other belief systems?
I’ve found that my faith doesn’t need to be in a man-made, human-organized, political or religious system.
I have not lost my faith. If I’ve lost my faith in anything, its in manmade labels. Even when that answer was put on my ‘formspring’, it got turned into something that it never was. It was then spread as a gossip filled rumor and I was never asked approached about it by that person or anyone else that that rumor went to before just yesterday afternoon. Why in the world would anyone who believes that their brother has ‘walked away from Christ’, not want to reach out to restore him? I mean, isn’t that what Paul challeneged us to do in the Bible? And if we aren’t doing that…if we aren’t bringing people to truth or bringing people back to truth, the religious system or ‘church’ if you will, then simply becomes a country club. There has to be more than that.
My faith in Christ remains. He has a clean track record with me. He’s never turned his back on me (even when I thought he had). He’s always looking out for my best (even when I don’t). He’s always good (even when I’m not). I don’t understand Him completely, but if I did, I guess He would cease to be God.
Yes, faith is sometimes blind. That makes it nothing more than adventurous for me. But, where you put your faith is up to you. I suggest you choose the things that have proven to be things worth putting your faith in.
For me, it’s God (or whatever you choose to call the undeniable ‘thing’ that started all of this ‘life’ stuff). He has proven to be loving, forgiving, gentle, strong, understanding, wise, just, merciful, gracious, a Father, and so much more. That is more than enough for me to put my faith in for a lifetime.
