With even a little faith, you can move mountains… What is Jesus talking about here? Many people think that “faith” refers to a creed, or set of beliefs. But faith is also the act of believing. It is as much a verb as it is a noun, referring to that offering of trust in something or someone (even ourselves), usually without the factual evidence to substantiate giving our confidence, loyalty, or commitment.
Each of these, trust, confidence, loyalty, commitment– are in part, spiritual dispositions or attitudes that we can develop and maintain, and which in turn, carry us through our own seemingly impossible trials and tribulations. Faith, even a secular understanding of the power of belief, is a resource that is known to affect our sense of personal agency, capability, our ability to heal and bounce back from trauma, and to face and accomplish hard things.
But what about grace, you might ask? Where does God and in particular the Holy Spirit fit in? How do we understand our belief in personal agency, capability, or resilience in the divine milieu of our religious faith? After all, wasn’t Pelagianism the heresy of placing too much faith in our human capacities and not enough in God?
When Jesus encourages his disciples to have faith, even a little faith, he is speaking directly from his experience of believing in more than himself. He knows the power of practicing faith, holding steady in a loyal commitment to someone or something bigger than himself. Jesus’ faith in his Father’s promise of resurrection led him even to the point of surrendering his life on behalf of a mission that he would need to pass on to his very unevenly qualified disciples. Talk about a test of faith!
But even Jesus based his faith on a firm, empirical foundation, not some empty fantasy, or general optimism. At the core of his belief in his Father’s Kingdom, this eschatological vision of a reality that would be realized only after and through his death, Jesus had evidence for which he was willing to give everything of himself. Jesus had a real, profound, and dynamic experience of his Father’s love for him. This love was the basis of everything, the essence and core of his being, his sense of self. In the Father, he was the beloved.
No one can create for themselves a sense of belovedness. We can only receive this as a freely given gift, one which we can neither merit nor be entitled to have by some personal asset. And just as it is a gift that by definition must be freely given, it also must be freely received. Being beloved requires each of us to accept this gift, despite our partiality, imperfection, or unworthiness. For many of us as believers, this is a spiritual journey that requires shedding layers of resistance, of shame or old stories about ourselves that block us from believing it could be true that God loves us unconditionally. It is perhaps the ultimate act of faith.
And when we believe in our belovedness in relationship with God, this faith makes everything possible… every other act of trust, confidence, every other promise of faithfulness and service, every other sacrifice for a greater purpose.
As for leaders, would you place your trust in someone who only believes in themselves, their own abilities, vision, or expertise? To what extent do you have a personal experience of your belovedness, and how does this influence your sense of what is of ultimate importance in life?
With you on the road,
