One of my recent sticking points has been a focus on defining faith, for myself, as trust. Listening to the podcasts I listen to (“Unbelievable?,” etc,) gives me look into the way people view religion from outside the fold. Often, most people only hear faith outside a religious context in the realm of marriage. And remaining faithful is remaining true, trustworthy, to and of the promises made during the wedding ceremony.
I have also been noticing a large downhill slide in American society when it comes to trust. Philosophically, and scientifically, there has been a trend the last century or so of proving that nothing can be trusted, even our own thoughts and brains. I am not so certain why we as humans need so desperately to prove that trust as a social construct is naive at best and foolish at worst. The idea is so far removed from anything that could engender connectivity and, well, faith in humanity.
I have see this distrust manifesting itself politically and economically as well. Consider the current two party system where one is highly distrustful of large corporations and the other is highly distrustful of government. (And a smattering of smaller parties that are distrustful of both sides, plus corporations and government.) Watching each side tear down the other with all the ferocity of a ravenous bear certainly makes me question whether any side really has the right viewpoint.
But, maybe, this goes to illustrate a deeper point about the state of our world and what God is doing in it. Consider that having trust in another human will almost always lead to disappointment, one way or another, small or large. Being flawed beings, we take most chances to prove ourselves such by unintentionally, or otherwise, hurting our friends, family, acquaintances, constituents, customers, or congregants.
The Psalmist reminds us that: “Man, his days are like those of grass; he blooms like a flower of the field; a wind passes by and it is no more, […] But the Lord’s steadfast love is for all eternity toward those who fear Him…” (Psalm 103.15-17a)
While we as humans might fail, God continues to work in and through our fragile “clay pot” bodies in order to build the Kingdom. God’s plan may not be entirely visible, but He never fails and we can trust God no matter what. In some ways, this allows us to have some forgiveness for those who do not live up to the standard. On the other hand, we also can see where injustice and selfishness are rampant and work to bring them to and end.
How do you talk about trust and faith in your home? Do you focus on the person, or on the action, the injustice, the mistake itself? Do you give chances to repent and restore in your home when trust is broken? How do you work to rebuild trust when a mistake is made?
Redeeming Culture for Kids 