Sometimes, no, usually, I keep my faith to myself. Although I often brag about my wonderful church, I rarely mention God. That has got to change, and I believe it is, slowly, but with confidence, with faith. Part of the difficulty is that it isn’t easy to explain God because God is in my heart, not my head. But that’s no excuse.
“Vision and Viewpoint: a weekly newsletter from Joan Chittister” has helped me this morning. Joan Chittister <[email protected]>
I believe in….
Belief is not contrary to fact. It simply transcends it. To believe something is to know its truth not so much in our minds but in the center of our souls.
We believe in goodness, for instance, because, however effective evil seems to be, it contradicts the highest aspirations of humanity. We believe in love rather than hate, because love draws out the best in us, while hate feeds on our smallness. We believe in people whose hearts we hold in our hands, whatever the situations that challenge that certainty, because we ourselves are nourished by that relationship. We believe in the spiritual because the material is simply not enough to justify the sense of the unfinishedness of life that lurks in every human heart.
In sum, belief is the ability to know what we cannot see. None of our beliefs, if they are really “belief,” are sure in the way that chemicals on scales are sure. Belief is sure in the way that truth is sure. It rings in our hearts like tines of crystal….
I’m making a commitment to mention God once a day to people out there in my world who are not part of my church circle. Today I will start with my sister.
“Vision and Viewpoint: a weekly newsletter from Joan Chittister” has helped me this morning. Joan Chittister <[email protected]>
I believe in….
Belief is not contrary to fact. It simply transcends it. To believe something is to know its truth not so much in our minds but in the center of our souls.
We believe in goodness, for instance, because, however effective evil seems to be, it contradicts the highest aspirations of humanity. We believe in love rather than hate, because love draws out the best in us, while hate feeds on our smallness. We believe in people whose hearts we hold in our hands, whatever the situations that challenge that certainty, because we ourselves are nourished by that relationship. We believe in the spiritual because the material is simply not enough to justify the sense of the unfinishedness of life that lurks in every human heart.
In sum, belief is the ability to know what we cannot see. None of our beliefs, if they are really “belief,” are sure in the way that chemicals on scales are sure. Belief is sure in the way that truth is sure. It rings in our hearts like tines of crystal….
I’m making a commitment to mention God once a day to people out there in my world who are not part of my church circle. Today I will start with my sister.
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