Where there is Doubt Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

How does one sow faith?  How does my life become one that infuses others with faith?  I think that perhaps there are two places where this is possible.  There are those who believe and doubt and those who do not believe.  One must understand that to doubt there must be a level of belief.  It could be that doubting in honesty is an act of faith. 

I must admit that for some unknown reason faith comes easy for me.  I am grateful for this but sometimes I forget that this is not true of everyone.  It is short sighted of me and can be damaging to others.  In addition it often means that I take the gift of belief for granted and that should never be true.

Cherishing what I believe also does not translate to action.  I have seen failure to live my beliefs cause doubt in others.  This may be the most serious of sins.  If my actions cause another to have less faith then I am tearing up faith that is already rooted.  This leads to injury, hatred, and strife.  This is a path that leads to destruction and hinders redemption.

If that, however, is the case, then perhaps the answer is the obverse of the question.  Perhaps the way in which I sow faith is by being an instrument of peace.  As I project peace toward others when the common response would be otherwise it can cause people to see Christ more clearly.  If my response to hatred is love then perhaps my beliefs are taken more seriously.  If I return pardon for injury the maybe others will see what forgiveness is all about.  Since forgiveness is obtained through faith then perhaps it is also a way to season the soil to sowing it.

I have seen many approaches toward engendering faith in others but this is the only thing that lacks arrogance that I have found.  One must be humble to work out peace, love, and pardon.  True faith is born of humility as well.  Perhaps the pattern of this prayer is beginning to become clearer to me.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. – Saint Francis of Assisi

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."