Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For such a literal person, I love the concept of faith. It pushes my comfort of cognitive understanding. How can we have a conviction of things not seen? How can we be sure of things we’ve merely hoped for? I’m deeply grateful that my need for understanding stops short of needing to understand faith. I’m absolutely willing to have faith and hope and assurance and conviction when it comes to God. It doesn’t make sense, given the rest of my countenance. Thanks be to God for that!
Faith and trust in God don’t make sense; it’s illogical. The accompanying reflection is from Brennan Manning, a theologian and Franciscan. He writes, “In order to grow in trust, we must allow God to see us and love us precisely as we are. The best way to do that is through prayer.” I think this is spot on. I tend to be pretty transparent. God knows and sees and loves me, in all of my brokenness. I don’t try to hide my flaws from anyone, lest of all God. So when I sense God’s love, I’ve never doubted it’s the whole me that’s loved. That does, indeed increase trust and faith in God. I’d recommend it highly to anyone.
Maybe some of this comes form a tradition that week by week, includes a public confession of sin. Thought, word and deed. Things done and left undone. I confess to God. Then, week by week, I hear of God’s love and blessing over me, despite whatever’s come up. Taken seriously, it’s a vulnerable prayer, exposing all of our dark bits to God. And we are assured of God’s love.
Manning continues, “As we pray, the unrestricted love of God gradually transforms us.” Yes! It’s through ever-increasing honest exposure of myself to God’s grace and light, that my dark bits are restored, renewed and forgiven.
This morning, I’m thinking about the great benefit of prayer in a new light. It’s a direct way to increase my faith and trust in God, because in prayer I’m showered in God’s love and light.
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