Advent: Faith
”...faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out ahead of time.”
-Rachel Held Evans, A Year of Biblical Womanhood
When it comes to faith, I often find myself envisioning these awesome acts of faith, similar to action movies or thrillers, where the characters have to act on faith alone to save their lives. One of my favorite examples of these “leaps of faith” is in the third Indiana Jones movie. *Spoilers ahead!* Jones and his crew of explorers (colonizers? That’s another post) are inside of an old, abandoned temple searching for the Holy Grail and there comes a point where they have to cross a chasm with no clear path across. In a leap of faith, Jones steps out into the chasm, seemingly about to fall to his death, but finds a bridge painted to look exactly like the pit’s bottom below.
No doubt, it’s an awesome visual to connect to faith and the drama of his decision makes this scene all the more enjoyable. But realistically, not very many of us are in life or death situations regularly so I’d also like to shift our frame of reference to the more subtle, but equally awesome acts of faith we may encounter every day.
In this season of Advent, we’re invited to light the second candle on the Advent wreath. This candle can hold many meanings and today I invite you to be thoughtful about faith. Faith of those who come before you, your own faith, and the faith to come. What makes a connection with God so meaningful?
For the people within the stories of Jesus’s birth, faith didn’t always look like them jumping off a cliff, knowing God was going to catch them! For some, faith meant not giving up; getting up and experiencing life every single day. I’m sure it would have been a lot easier for Joseph to walk away from his unwed, pregnant fiancé. I’m sure it would have been easier for the magi to halt their journey and return home. But God has different plans for those who have faith in them.
Today, continue to be thoughtful of what faith means to you, and look inwards and reflect on what parts of yourself need sustaining. If you find yourself in a situation where a risk needs to be taken, step boldly and know that God is with you!