The Light of Faith

This Sunday’s readings speak to the challenges of faith and what it means to live our faith in a world that rejects the Word of God.  Jeremiah was plunged into a muddy cistern for speaking the word of God when it was unpopular.   Jesus went to the cross with supreme faith in God His (Our) Father, and in today’s gospel He cautions us that faith can be the source of divisions among people, even family members.  There are many who claim that religion is the cause of all war and bloodshed, but they tend to forget that totalitarian regimes have murdered millions and millions of people in their effort to stamp out religious belief and impose Communism, Fascism or Marxism.

Pope Francis’ first encyclical is entitled Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith).  In it he, and Pope Benedict XVI who wrote the first draft, address what it means to have faith, to be faithful, and to be open to the Word of God.  The very term “Light of Faith” points to the fact that faith enlightens us and helps us recognize God’s Truth when spoken or demonstrated, as in the case of Jesus and the many saints who followed the example of His life.  This notion of light has intrigued me for years because light is so mysterious, consisting of both energy and mass.  Jesus is often referred to as “the Light of the world,” perhaps because He illuminates the very nature of God.  “When you see me, you see the Father…”

Without light there could be no life.  The stars, each one a sun, are sources of light and energy without which there would be no planets or any life.  Every atom in existence had its origin in a star, including the atoms that comprise our bodies.  The earth revolves about our sun, depending on it for energy, warmth, and of course the ability to see.  We owe our existence to the sun.  At the risk of sounding a bit like a pantheist, what if God’s love has been encapsulated as mass and energy in the form of light?  The light that makes life possible was of course created by God, along with everything else in existence.   We take light for granted, but without it we would cease to exist.  The same is true for the love of God.  If not for Him, there would be no universe, no suns or planets, no life, no human beings and no thought.  God created and sustains us out of love, and perhaps light is the medium through which He accomplishes all this and remains present in our lives.  Could light be the very love of God, in the form of energy and matter, holding us in existence?  Of course, this vastly over simplifies things, and I’m not suggesting that light alone is the source of life as we know it.  God is surely more complex and mysterious than that, having designed the inexpressible complexity of the universe and the diversity of life to the extent we have thus far unveiled it.

The light of faith, is a theological virtue given to us by God, enabling us to perceive His existence. But it is also much more.  Faith opens our eyes to the Truth as revealed by God in scripture and in the life of Jesus.  Combined with reason, faith enables us to understand our true nature and our destiny.  Because we have faith, we know we are loved and that we are called to love.  This light of faith is meant to be reflected in us, by the lives we lead.  The parable about putting a candle under a basket comes to mind here.  But here’s the rub, and the point of today’s gospel: living our faith is meant to be done publically, not just in church.  If we are to reflect the light and love of God into the world, we must be willing to put our faith into action and stand up for what we believe is the common good of humanity.  This will often put us in conflict with the prevailing norms of society and recently, at odds with government policy.   Being faithful means reflecting the light of truth on issues like abortion, marriage, and the dignity of every human being, from the moment of conception to natural death.  Our founding fathers would be shocked to find out that Christians are being forced to act contrary to their religious beliefs.  Many of our long-held beliefs on marriage and family are now being categorized as intolerant and even illegal.  The question each of us must answer is whether or not we are willing to stand up for what we believe about our faith.   The current administration insists that we still have the “freedom to worship,” implying that what we do and say in church is one thing, but living our religious values, when they are opposed to government regulation is unacceptable.  Two hundred years ago Edmund Burke said: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”  Burke was a political philosopher and contemporary of our founding fathers, considered by some to be the father of modern conservatism.

The virtue of faith needs to be lived out in everyday life, not just in the pews of our churches.   How strong is your faith?  Is it a private matter, or are you willing to live your faith in the public square?