"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15.
I have always wanted to have a faith blog. Ever since I begun blogging way back when Multiply was the premiere social website (this was before Facebook took that prestige), I have always enjoyed blogging about my faith. I know very little people paid any attention to these posts (and maybe even less given that I don't have very many readers in blogger apart from the people I know quite personally), but it was still a joy to share my faith in the form I am most comfortable with.
It felt right then that I start a new blog dedicated specifically for my faith. See, I have come to the point where I really want to know my God intimately; I want to discover who He or She is and what truths about Him or Her are available for me to know. For me, there is no question that God exists; God is real, genuine, even necessary. I cannot imagine living in a world without God; that would be akin to a life lived in darkness, or life imprisoned by despair. God is my hope, God gives me hope. In God, I find my comfort; in God I find truth.
However, it is specifically for the truth about God that I want to start a new blog. In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he tells his son in the faith to handle correctly the Word of the Truth. The Word of the Truth here of course pertains to God's Word, specifically the Bible. It's so easy to misinterpret the truths about faith; truths about God even. It's so easy to take for granted the fact that, tucked in this thick book with more than two thousand pages, is the absolute truth about God. That within these thin, almost translucent pages, are written the words of God Himself or Herself, written by people God has chosen (and qualified) personally. And most important of all, albeit being God, God allows Himself or Herself to be made known, but have I really tried to know God? Have I really made a conscious effort to reach out to God and ask Him or Her "Who are you?"
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I do not want to judge, as Jesus Himself did not come into the world to judge it, how much more so should I not judge. But it's utterly sad, even painful, to watch what should be adults acting so childishly. Yes, maybe there were some who were actually listening, and yes, maybe some of them have already been to a lot of these Baptismal seminars to even care, but its undeniable that there were some who did not seem to appreciate what was happening before them; they weren't paying attention to the truth that was being revealed before their very eyes. The truth that, hey, your child will now be a part of the family of believers, and you as parents and godparents should be grateful and happy, graciously welcoming your child into a loving and faithful community. Why were they consciously choosing to miss such a wonderful truth?
The kicker to this was what happened during the Baptismal Rites itself. The seminar master explicitly told those in attendance to refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony itself, to keep it solemn (or to keep whatever solemnity was left). I could very vividly see the irritation in the eyes of the priest when, albeit the instruction, the relatives of the children flocked the Baptismal font in droves, squeezing against each other to capture the moment with their digital cameras. And they were using flash photography too!
It hurts. It hurts because I'm aware how many Filipinos are the same; nominally Catholics but do not even know the Sacraments or what they are for. Catholics by name and practice, but outside the premises of the church are completely different people, practicing Feng Shui or Astrology, believing in the power of the stars or the position of furniture in relation to pathways of "chi". To think that most of the Sacraments are dogma and not doctrine (more on this soon, but for posterity, doctrine is an important truth, dogma on the other hand could be viewed as something optional but recommended); how much less do we know about the core truths of our faith? How can we say we believe if we don't even know what to believe in? How can we say "amen" when we don't even know what amen entails? How can we say "Our Father" when, beside the crucifix is a statuette of the golden Buddha or a maneki neko (or worse, a golden or jade frog with a coin in its mouth)?
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My second motivator is the wonderful book by Joshua Harris entitled "Dug Down Deep". In the university that I am attending, we have a faith community called FORMDEV (short for Formation and Development, which is also the course code for a subject of the same name). Within this community, we hold regular Bible Study meetings, led by a community member whose spiritual gift is to teach or to lead a small study group. These leaders meet separately and study books or other materials that would supplement their knowledge or abilities in spiritual leadership. By God's grace, I was selected in the past to become a part of this group, and in this academic term, we are studying the said book: Joshua Harris' Dug Down Deep.
In this book, Joshua Harris is encouraging readers to partake in meaningful Theology, the study of God. Harris stresses the importance of studying God, as our understanding of God definitely shapes the way we live and the way we relate to other people. It's more than just because we were created in the image and likeness of God (again, a topic that deserves its own discussion), but because, by acknowledging and knowing who God is, we also understand more about ourselves. After all, God is our almighty and powerful creator; as much as a servant is affected by his or her understanding of his or her master, we are also affected by our understanding of our Lord.
For example, those who know who God is and believes and acknowledges this God in a personal and intimate way tend to live in a manner reflective of this faith; people who have a deep understanding of God tend to live with more hope, looking forward to tomorrow even while under suffering.
I have often wondered how some people of great faith, after having undergone earth shattering trials (death of a son or daughter, loss of a family, etc) can still keep their faith. The natural reaction, I would think, for such events would be to blame God and accuse Him or Her of being "unfair" and "evil" (and I would even dare say, rightfully so, imagine being fired by your boss for no reason, or being evicted from your house by your landlord even if you faithfully pay the rent). But still, these people can still sing praises to God! How can that be?
Only recently did I find out that it is especially because these people have a deep and intimate understanding of God that they can do such feats. Again, this is a topic that begs its own discussion, but the truth is, its not us who shape and stereotype God, it is God who shapes us and holds us in His or Her loving hands. These people can still keep the faith because they know God and they know that God, because of His or Her sovereignty, is in total control, and because of His or Her love, that they shouldn't worry at all. For God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his or her purpose (Romans 8:28).
This is why, I really want to know who God truly is, because I know this knowledge would certainly shape me and my perception not just of God, but of myself and others as well.
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Finally, the third motivation I have for starting this blog comes from the book of Acts, chapter 2 verse 37. During Pentecost, while the disciples were waiting in one place, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them and tongues of fire settling upon each of them. The entire whose shook, and suddenly, the people gathered in that place all began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit of the Lord enabled them. People from all over the ancient world were in attendance, from Rome to parts of Arabia, and yet each of them understood what the disciples were boldly preaching because the disciples were doing so in their native language!
As amazing as this was, there was of course going to be people who would dismiss such an astounding event, even going as far as saying the disciples had too much alcohol (it was just nine in the morning, so this would have been quite insulting, especially for the disciples). So Peter, with a boldness that was enabled by the same Spirit, addressed the crowd. He talked about Jesus, and about how He died for the sins of each individual in attendance. He talked about how this same Jesus rose from the dead, granting each access to eternal life. And it was this same Jesus whom the people jeered on the road to Calvary, going as far as to condemn Him to the cross.
The people of course were cut to the heart. They were stricken by both awe and guilt. This was such a penetrating message for them that they were driven to ask Peter "What should we do?"
What should we do? These words, suffice to say, were the final nails to the coffin. These words spurred me on to start this blog. For a time now, I have been carrying a burden that I have not been sure what I should do about. For a time, I have kept my opinions about my faith to myself; in the midst of all the issues relevant to my faith, I kept my silence. Acts 2:37 therefore for me has been a call to action; it as been a call for me to act, to discover, to know. In front of me is the reality of God, the reality of faith, the reality of truth, and yet, what have I done to discover this truth and to make it known to others?
This blog is my response to that question, or at least, is one of my responses to it. I am starting this blog first of all for me, so that I may discover who God is truly (although not fully, as God is indeed infinite); second for my friends and for others, that I may have an avenue to share what I discover, hopefully encouraging others to discover for themselves as well, to begin searching on their own. But I am starting this blog primarily for God, that through this blog, His glory and love may be made revealed, even just a tiny bit of it.
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For at the end of the day, it is God that I return to. It is to God that I retreat and I entrust my life and my being. It is to God that I give my love, for it is God who fills me with love overflowing.
How then, can I say I love you to someone I don't know? How can I say Abba Father, if I don't even know what my Father likes or wants?
How can I live without knowing the one who gave me life?
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