Dissection of the word
"faith"
Let's take the first
phrase apart and find out what it means. We'll go section by section
and slowly consider each of those sections and look back at the whole phrase
again when we're done.
Being "Sure"
"Being SURE" of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.
Merriam-Webster.com says:
Firmly established; steadfast; reliable; trustworthy; marked by or given to
feelings of confident certainty; admitting of no doubt; indisputable; bound
to happen; inevitable; destined...
What are you "SURE" of? Are you sure that you'll wake up in the morning in good health,
in a home with a secure roof over your head? Are you sure that your
next trip in a car will be a safe one? Can you really be sure of anything?
"Hope"
Being sure of what you
"HOPE" for and certain of what you do
not see.
Merriam-Webster.com says:
To cherish a desire with anticipation; to expect with confidence; trust.
What do you "HOPE" for? Do you hope that you will live a long and prosperous life?
Do you hope you will have good health all your life? Do you hope that
you will go bankrupt and live a life filled with pain and suffering?
Is Hope always positive? Personally, I hope so.
Being "Certain"
Being sure of what you
hope for and "CERTAIN" of what you do
not see.
Merriam-Webster.com says:
Fixed; settled; of a specific but unsettled character, quantity or degree;
dependable, reliable...
Certainty seems to be
similar to "being sure" of something, so let's just reconsider the section
on "Being Sure" we previously discussed and move on (unless you want to add
to this section by posting your comments below)?
What you do not "see"
Being sure of what you
hope for and certain of "WHAT YOU DO NOT SEE."
Merriam-Webster.com says that "to see" is:
To perceive by the eye; to perceive or detect as if by sight...
If you're reading this, you can
see. Let's not talk about what we can see, but what we cannot see to
highlight the benefits of sight, or the ability to see.
Air
What are things you (and
I) cannot see? For example, do you see air (if there was no such thing
as pollution, etc.)? NO, of course not. Yet, we all know it's there,
right? Would we see air or know it was there if science didn't convince
us it was there?
Sound
What about sound?
Can you see sound if you don't have the technology creating visualizations
for you to see sound in motion or action?
Concepts
Can you see, with your
eyes, concepts such as the love of a family member or friend, a never-ending
universe, an all-powerful creator or the aspirations of a young child to change
the world?
Prayer
What about prayer? Do you
have the faith to believe that prayer is a force that can change the world
around you? What tells you, convinces you that prayer works? Why
believe in prayer--especially when there is such little evidence to prove
it's effective at all? (personally I believe in prayer, if you're wondering)
Over 90% of people around the world
believe in the power of prayer and yet there is little proof that can be provided
that would "hold water" in a court of law. Now that's faith!
There are many things
we cannot see but believe are there. Why? What is it that has
convinced us? Science? Science taught the whole world that the
world was flat... and we probably would have bought into that too if we lived
back then. We're all followers, no matter what anyone thinks.
We're all subject to peer pressure and want to be accepted.
Recap
I like to look at faith this way: Faith is trusting in what may not exist compared to what we
have been convinced exists.
That is to say, if you have the
faith that something is true or is real, then you believe it's possible for
something to exist despite what knowledge says is or is not true.
Inherently human beings want to
know, and the idea that there are things that exist that cannot be proven
with science (yet--or if ever), messes with our heads.
Religion, a common denominator
for more than 90 percent of the world's population is based on faith.
Not all of the 90% believes in the same type or worship, commitment, devotion
or observance, but they all require some degree of faith to belong and/or
believe.
Faith is blind
"Faith is something you believe that nobody in his right mind would believe."
- Archie Bunker (TV situation comedy character - "All In The Family")
|