Although I wrote this a while ago and may add, below sums up reasonably why I think there is confusion when the word 'faith' is used in a sentence.

Faith.  What a misunderstood word!  Am I in a position to say that?  Maybe.  Am I in a position to clarify what I mean?  I would like to make my contribution.  I had trouble with that word for a long time.  Now that it has meaning, I feel I see it either misused, or used in ways I don’t yet understand, or maybe both.  Let me explain.

You see, to me, faith is a spectral word.  What I mean by this is it seems to refer to many things at once.  When saying spectral, think of the spectrum itself.  Is red a rainbow?  No, but red is in a rainbow.  What about blue, ultraviolet, or X-ray?  They are PART of the ‘rainbow’, or electromagnetic spectrum, but they are not the spectrum.  My view of faith goes along these lines.  Is faith power to conceive or receive an idea?  Yes.  Is it power to believe an idea, or in an idea?  Yes.  Is it power to act on an idea?  Yes.  How about power to reach for an idea that doesn’t yet exist in a sphere where we are familiar with it?  It sure ought to be considered part of the process from where I stand.  So is any one of these faith?  I would call them an element of faith, maybe a particle is another term used.  Are all of them together faith?  Now we are getting closer.  Do I see the whole electromagnetic spectrum?  I don’t.  Does it exist and is it measurable?  Yes.  Do I know how to detect all levels of faith at this time?  I would say no. 

What does surprise me a little, is in reflecting on this, faith is the power by which all things are obtained.  How on this earth is new knowledge gained?  One main way that would be acknowledged from the point of view of the world is through science.  Well, let’s see here, true science goes by the scientific method.  This says that something starts as an idea, can be tested by different means to isolate the truths involved, there comes a point that through a trial of the idea, the truth or lack thereof is brought to be known. 

How is this different from faith?  I would suggest that it is no different from faith at all.  True faith and true science are synonymous from this point of view.  There is a physical laboratory, and a spiritual laboratory, fo those who would like to delineate.  Now even that is spectral now, isn't it?  How many commandments have to do with what we do with the body?  Yet all commandments are spiritual.

What is strange about this to me, is that the scientific method is an implementation of faith, or even is faith, or operates on many coinciding principles disguised under a different name.  Also, this scientific method is useable to find out the truth of religion.  The rules are pretty much the same for all, although there seems to be an element that is customizable to an individual.  The main thing is one humbles himself before God, desires to know if he exists, and then asks what His will is for them, and exerts himself in finding that while He guides their footsteps.  It is not outside of what can happen that He gives direct guidance, but my experience is I don’t always get it that way and won’t be frustrated by this.  The point is, that all men can humble themselves to make the conditions right in this ‘spiritual laboratory’, ask God about what their question is, and receive an answer in some way or time as he sees fit.  Not all who have followed this pattern have reported an answer in the time frame they were hoping, but they do report answers.  This is as scientific as any worldly process that is identifiable.  It is this simple.  I want to write more, but let the point be this simple.  The way to find if religion is true is very scientific, by science’s own rules, and the Lord has made it that way on purpose.  That way he can tell us the way back home and give the same rules for everybody.  Just like a spark plug fires every time on the power stroke of an engine that is working.  Just like my heater comes on when it is cold.  A man can find answers to his prayers from God who gives them.  It is that established and that predictable, and if it doesn't work, the proper knowledge can be applied to find the part that isn't working and fix it.

So faith is a generic principle used in day to day life.  I keep typing because I keep seeing letters appear on my screen.  If this were to cease happening, by the power of faith, or evidence of things unseen which are true, I would perceive that some unknown thing was wrong with my computer, and also by the power of faith I or another knowlegeable technician would be able to isolate where the problem is, often without knowing the exact problem inside a component, only that it doesn’t work.  So faith is there again evidence that is truly doesn’t work without a perfect knowledge as to why.  Yet a more knowledgeable technician could track even that down, but there comes a point where really no one knows why, but that it does anyway.

I deleted most for brevity, but this is enough to take me back to the question that started this.  Some say faith is belief.  Others say faith without works is dead.  I say faith is all of this and more, but back to the original question, if belief is all one has, and they are powerless besides this because of some factor, for instance one can't save themselves, to get to the core of the question, or at other times, someone is hurt and you can't help because of ability or location, if all other elements of faith are shut down, that internal faith, that internal switch you keep open, that invisible thing that actually is an action or a work that is visible to God and this universe that he runs, that faith that can be made to seem so idle and so worthless, and no work available to show it outwardly, is still something.  Do what you can when you can, but when it seems there is nothing else to do, keep faith.  That open channel in your mind and heart opens channels, even the doorway to heaven when it is faith in Christ.

Tags: Faith

Bookmark: