Faith- the Hidden Journey

We often view faith as something we seek, but is it something we actually seek to control? Faith it says in the bible is a gift from God, from mustard seeds to mountains it seems the opiate of the Christian faith. If you got it you are the lucky one-Anything is possible! This might be a nice way of saying faith is a means of getting my way, of my plans working out. But faith it seems to me is beyond this definition. Our faith is in God, not in circumstances, or the outcomes we desire, it isn't even the companion to the plans that we have made. It has really nothing to do with our particular journeys as we see it. It has to do with where He is leading us. This we cannot see, we cannot guess even. This could be bad news for control freaks, people who need to know everything in advance. And for success oriented individuals. HOLD everything lightly. This means we could actually fail at something, be sick, have blah days. The peace comes in knowing that God is our lead not just a companion in suffering, disappointment and failure. His interest is in us. Our faith response to Him is to say, 'yes lord I will follow-wherever.'

God is more interested in our response to Him, than in what we think He wants us to do. This means that if suddenly our life takes a major corner, we loose a job, we go through a family crisis, it isn't that God isn't there, that we heard wrong etc.. Faith says, 'He is my rock, I will go where He leads.'

The lord is my shepherd,

I shall not be in want,

He leads me beside still waters,

He restores my soul,

He leads me in paths of righteousness for

HIS name sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil.

His rod and staff they comfort me

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of

my life. And I will dwell in his presence

FOREVER.

psalm 23

TRUE COMMUNITY

I came across a great program the CBC ran this summer. It was called 'Hidden City'. Its premise was that within every city is a hidden city. Groups of people who gather for different reasons:faith, tai chi, mexican food, or say football. These groups all have a social structure, its own rules etc. The goal of this show was identifying and penetrating these subcultures.

What facinated me was that they began by creating their own subculture by looking total strangers in downtown toronto straight, square in the eye. Whoever looked back they invited into their inner society. What amazed me is an unspoken understanding that people who look each other in the eye humanize their community. Community was built through eye contact.

Having lived in downtown toronto it is evident to me that people do not talk to one another, they don't get in each others way. How they do this initially is by avoiding eye contact. One person was interviewed and they said not only was eye contact a primary way of greeting and getting to know people, but that it was also a basic means of building trust. If you want safe community, if you want to get people's hearts- look them in the eye.

What a fantastic starting point to beginning to talking about spiritualizing/humanizing people. Take the time to look them in the eye. What a fantastic program. Cudos CBC.