Faith

What is faith if not a response to God's word? It is not surprising that in some liturgies the Creed comes right after the sermon. God speaks and we answer with "I believe". Faith is listening to God speak, accepting His words as truth and anticipating their fulfilment. Faith is going forth, moving forward on the sole basis of God's word. Having faith means leaving without knowing where God is leading you, because we heard Him call us. Like Abraham, we leave but not arrive. We leave a place where our words are remembered and head somewhere where our words may matter again. In between, there remains only God's word of promise which sustains us during the whole journey. Faith, as it turns out, is not the absence of doubt but responding to God's word in spite of doubt, in spite of fear and in spite of failure. Even, in spite of unbelief. Faith is much more about obedience than knowledge which is why Kierkegaard said, "It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey."
About a week ago I heard from our friends in Kiev. Igor and Raya heard God's word and responded in faith. They are adopting twin baby girls who were abandoned by their mother in the hospital. Having heard about the babies from her cousin, Raya heard God saying, "These are your children." They have responded in faith in spite of the doctors saying one of the girl's brain may have been damaged during delivery and if she makes it at all she will likely have serious developmental problems. They have responded to God's word in spite of the cultural stigma against adoption and notoriously long and confusing legal process. They already have three girls of their own and are considered a big family by Ukrainians. Igor has been praying for a boy and now God gives him two more girls. They don't have money or enough space in their two bedroom apartment. But they have faith in God's word spoken to them. Oh, yes, they named the girls Faith and Hope.