Blogging Towards Sunday
December 7th
The Second Sunday of Advent FAITH
What is faith? Is it good news? Or does hearing good news lead to it? This week's passages talk of hope, pointing towards the future, proclaiming that something is coming: something definitive, transformative and personal; dynamic, destructive and life-sustaining. In several encounters this week I've been struck by diverse and seemingly divergent, yet actually concurrent visions of faith: an atheist who likes going to church because of the feel, an evangelical saying that don't want to be called "Christian" because of modern-day political baggage, a scientist who says that the truth witnessed to in the Bible narratives is True not in a scientific but an existential/experiential way, my daughter who gives thanks for God who teaches us to love each other. The Book of Hebrews chapter 11 says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I like that yet it seems so certain. Maybe faith, having faith, being faithful isn't so much about unwavering certainty as it is about steadfast stick-with-it-ness, the tenacity to keep fighting, keeping participating in community, keep believing in the midst of confusion and chaos.
Here's a song I'm in love with these days playing to a Second Week of Advent Wreath Image. The song is called "Toi et Moi" by the group TRYO. [wiki] I'm also including a LINK to the official clip. Yes it is in French. Lyrics in French [LINK]. Lyrics in English (far from perfect, but good enough to get the idea) [LINK] I like the song because it gives a quick experiential sound to the realities of urban globalized life today. Fear. Uncertainty. Masses of people. Unknown futures surrounded by threats, deaths and doubts. Yet in all of it the poet sings that you and I are together. We love each other. So it will be ok. I'm not a pessimist, but I'm not sure that it's enough. I'm down with love, yet is it self-serving love that ends up being a vampiristic sort of narcissism or is it a love that opens up towards others, embracing the world, making meaning of all of it? Maybe that's what faith is, faith in something bigger than ourselves, our own love, and the power of our own breath.
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