HOPE FAITH TRUST

In “Ruthless Trust” Bennan Manning poses the equation that “Faith + Hope = Trust”. Specifically “Ruthless Trust = Faith in the person of Jesus Christ and Hope in his promise.” It sounds good at first and fits in with his theme, but in practical terms and in terms of what we know from the Bible, I would like to propose that a more correct statement would be “Hope + Trust” = “Faith” which could be written as “Faith = Hope + Trust” to retain the same order as Manning.

Please note that this is primarily an intellectual excercise and is certainly not any criticism of Brennan Manning or his writing. It is easy to see that as a debate this would come down to semantics, definitions and splitting hairs.

According to Manning, faith is a defined as a noun. It is something we possess. I would like to define faith as a verb - as something that we do. Having faith is not the same as having feet. It is much more like having dessert. It is an activity that we do sometimes and other times we only wish we did it.

Definitions for the purpose of this argument:
1. Faith is believing ( having certainty) some unseen or “unknown” truth.
2. Hope is having some uncertainty, but wanting something to be true.
3. Trust is when we don’t know something is true for certain, but we take someone else’s word for it being true. If a trusted person says it’s true, then we are certain that it is true.

Regarding the statement Faith + Hope = Trust, there is an implication that hope is a required ingredient to make trust. I will argue that hope is actually an ingredient in faith, not trust. When you watch a man ride a unicycle across a high wire stretched across Niagra Falls, you HOPE that he won’t fall. But if you are sitting on his shoulders, hope just isn’t going to cut it. You need complete trust before you get up there!

Another way to look at this question is to ask, “what sparks this Leap of Faith” required of followers to truly experience the conversion of being a “True Believer”? Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in “The Cost of Discipleship” that obedience is not only a result of, but also a condition for faith. So we could say that something plus obedience = faith. Looking back at the comparison to Manning’s formula we see that in both his and the proposed formula, it is Trust that belongs on the other side of the equation, so we can write Trust + Obedience = Faith.

According to Hebrews 11:1 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. So we know that certainty is a major element in Faith, and that was reflected earlier in the third definition. But what produces the certainty? It does not simply happen by magic. Does it come from hoping? No. From obedience? No. Does it come by faith? Maybe some of it. Trust? Hmmm. When we put our trust in Jesus, we become certain of all the hopes we have of him fulfilling his promises. Trusting God to do what is best for us turns our hope into certainty and finally into faith.

Hope + Trust = Faith

Requirement of Faith

"I think therefore I am" - But how can I think? I don't think like other animals on earth. If we all evolved together ( humans and animals ) why is there such a huge gap between the humans and even the smartest animals? To say that there isn't, completely ignores the fact that we can recognize that there is a difference ( however large or small ) and ask questions about what that means!!

Let's say evolution, or some similar scientifically plausible cause explains the origin of humans. But then Biology is required to explain how something like evolution can be the explanation of the origin of humans. But to explain biology, a broader field called "science" has to come underneath biology to support it's structure. But what explains science? What explains how scientific laws and principles came about? Is there an explanation within science itself that adequately prooves its own origins? Can you use scientific laws and principles to explain how those very laws and principles came about? Can you simply state that they have always been, that they had to be, and that they could not have been any different?

No.

The only solid base for the origin and nature of science is God.

Chemistry does not create the periodic table of elements any more than mathematics creates numbers and physics creates gravity.

Renovare Week 11: May 4-10

Henri Nouwen - Making all Things New

Bringing solitude into our lives is like shutting the doors after living with them open all our lives. All our friends in the form of distractions are suddenly annoyed that they can't come in and start banging on the door! After a while the friends stop coming to visit.


A spiritual life is impossible without solitude.

Renovare Week 10: April 28-May 3

Julian of Norwich

Be careful what you wish (pray) for.

Renovare Week 9: April 21-27

Thomas Merton - Ways of Meditation ( from Contemplative Prayer )

There is no "System". An attidude of meditation requires faith, attention, reverence, expectation, supplication, trust and joy. Meditation requires an outlook that recognizes our helplessness, frustration, infidelity, confusion and ignorance.

Why can't there be a SYSTEM! I want there to be a system!

Good will doesn't cut it. Perceived spiritual skills can not be clung to as they are meaningless and reliance on them often causes us to resist the will of God.