"We have had many harbingers and forerunners; but of a purely spiritual life, history has afforded no example. I mean, we have yet no man who has leaned entirely on his character, and eaten angels' food; who, trusting to his sentiments, found life made of miracles; who, working for universal aims, found himself fed, he knew not how; clothed, sheltered, and weaponed, he knew not how, and yet it was done by his own hands. ... Shall we say, then, that transcendentalism is the excess of Faith; the presentiment of a faith proper to man in his integrity, excessive only when his imperfect obedience hinders the satisfaction of his wish."
-Ralph Walder Emerson, Nature
I disagree. Is this not the faith that we all live by? Do we not all live entirely by our character, however limited? Do we not all find ourselves clothed, fed, and sheltered by our own hands, yet we know not how?
Let's take the time today to dwell on the miracle of our own lives, and how we must appear in the eyes of God. God does not require that we all live by an excess of faith, but He certainly looks after those who do, and there are many.
I am not exactly sure what Emerson is getting at, but I believe that we all have a certain measure of faith or the Lord has given to each of us a measure of faith. Even the atheist who says there is no God, probably lives by some faith or risk. "Risk" is probably the secular term for faith.
ReplyDeleteA man may have a measure of faith to start a construction business. A woman may have a measure of faith to birth and then raise fifteen children. When General Eisenhower finally made the decision to invade Normandy, it was an act of faith.
I hitchhike by faith. This is not blind faith. The Lord tells me where I am going and then I go in faith. This is called being led by the Holy Ghost. Self will has nothing to do with it.
"It is only through faith that we are able to please God."
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"And here the faithful waver, the faithless fable and miss."
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. --Matthew 5:45
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