I have had a great week.  Even when the weather was rainy and cold, I got to watch my New York Mets win seven straight games. A team expected to lose more games than they win is now in first place.  The “my” applies to a winning team, “they” to a losing one.  Of course there are only 140 games still to go.

I had every intention to getting up early, which for me means 10:00 am (I get to bed most nights at 4 am) and working on my weekly Bible study.  However I woke up to a beautiful, sunny day, temps in the 70′s.  I was seduced by the siren call of the sea and spent the day at the beach.

Instead of doing a lot of research on the Bible I will ask a simple question.  What is faith?  If an alien from space came to visit earth and asked you what is faith, what would be your answer?

Faith does have many different meanings.  There is the faith we place in the tools, and technology, we use everyday.  We have faith the car will start.  That when we push a button world of the Internet will open to us.  When we step into a giant hunk of metal we trust it to fly us safely to our destination.  Although I must admit to keeping my fingers crossed at take-offs and landings.

When most people speak of faith they are referring to spiritual, emotional, faith.  People of religious faith believe there is a spirit inside them that will guide them in life, as they learn to understand it, which was placed there by God.  They seek understanding with God by praying, and mediating.

I see the source of my faith as being from my brain.  It gives me the ability understand the world I live in, and work out solutions to problems.  My brain doesn’t always work so well, so I also have periods of doubt.  It has however been many years, decades, since I felt the depression of losing faith.

We receive our first explanation of faith from our parents.  We trust our parents and believe what they tell us is true.  At some point we learn that they can be wrong.  We will start to have doubts.  We will also face challenges that will test our faith.  Unless we are lucky we will have periods of doubt, and then renewed faith, most of our lives.  If we are very unlucky we never find faith again.  I can’t think of a sadder existence that life without faith, and the hope it brings.

The journey to the source of our faith is mostly a personal one.  It starts with a hopeful step.  As it helps us overcome challenges, our faith in it grows. It hopefully becomes a confident faith by the time we reach the end our travels.

What is faith? It’s hope, trust, and confidence. It leads us to great joy.

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