By faith, Sarah and Abraham left family, household and land for the promise of a new life in Canaan. This faith may lead us through labyrinths of doubt, laughing hysterically, shouting in protest, lurching in denial, finally making it to green pastures.
By faith, Moses, Miriam and Aaron led their people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and into the desert. This faith might sometimes lead us down unpaved tracks, with people we don’t recognise, to destinations we didn’t plan.
Faith is the opposite of belief: a bright-side-up coin whose shadow-side is hope.
Faith means behaving as if there’ll be peace on earth—despite centuries-long evidence to the contrary; acting to make poverty history—somehow; living as if the work of Christ has been left in good and sufficient hands.
Faith is relationship and way of life; living with uncertainty yet acting with confidence.
Faith is supporting restorative justice and a living wage; ensuring girls in developing countries are educated; restoring the mana and resources of indigenous peoples; providing clean water and rescue helicopters, creating micro-finance loans and green spaces;
caring for orphans and widows, casting out demons of self-doubt and despair, and occasionally raising the dead.
This is our faith: living as if we matter. Being the salt, the flavour, the zest. Following the spiral path that leads to our home country, the heart of everything, the commonwealth of peace and freedom:
Now, and here.
words of spirit and faith 