Brighter Faith

Today at FMBS we discussed Faith - and what that means.

I remember asking R.M. on our road trip from Wilmington to Cincinnati to describe something that requires a leap of faith.  As he pondered the question he replied = "The trust in our monetary system".  He was reflecting the mystery that we all can use this paper money as a means of economic exchange that provides ongoing  security, and sustenance in our daily existence. Yet there are plenty of examples where money and monetary systems have failed or completely changed in our society.

But what about the faith in a higher order (even higher than money) - maybe faith about God and even an afterlife - something beyond daily existence.  I just finished a documentary movie "Flight from Death - The Quest for Immortality that was inspired by Ernest Becker's book "Denial of Death".   "Wealth is  a symbolic barrier to Death" was a comment by one of the scholars interviewed.  So faith in money (Wealth) is just an illusion of temporary mortality here on earth.  "Social Death" may occur as a result of poverty here on earth. But you can even have "Social Death" as a millionaire (e.g. poverty in relationships).  So faith in wealth is an illusion.

So how does one "get" faith?   G.M asked this morning.  Is it an on and off switch?  Or is it like a dimmer?  For faith in God, I believe that the Holy Spirit can't be turned off - it is always on.  So the light gets brighter and darker with each moment of worldly tests.  You can see faith in action through others. In fact like a room full of lights - the luminosity increases with both more lights and greater lumens. 

Brighten your day - turn up the dimmer switch.