"We have nothing, if not belief."

I can't even remember the context of this simple statement's of Reepicheep's in C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but it's very profound. Similarly, in The Voyage and The Silver Chair respectively, C.S. Lewis says:
  • "You can't know, you can only believe." (I would say that you can know, but first you must believe...faith is the first step.)
  • "I'm on Aslan's side, even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it."
Just watched Miracle on 34th Street with my parents (the new version, because that's the only version we happen to own). A few things stood out to me, and I'd like to talk about one: belief.
It's so easy to say things we "believe" in. I think we say it more than we think we do. For example, we say "I believe the forecast said it would snow tomorrow" or "I believe it will be cold this Christmas" or "I believe he's going to ask her out this week" or "I believe in God." The first three statements were sort of non-chalant...noncommittal. And yet, that last statement is very committal. I would say that it's powerful. The others are fluff, wordy, weak, but this simple, four-word statement is just the opposite. It's a declaration that is very strong and bold these days.
In a day when there is no such thing as integrity and commitment, I may seem stubborn and even self-righteous in saying this, but I believe in God. I believe in Him with every fiber of my being, because if I didn't, I couldn't have any hope or joy. We're all faced with questions and difficulties, but even when I have doubted everything, that belief, or even that desire to believe, has given me peace.
"In God We Trust." Just as there is no way to prove that He doesn't exist, there really isn't any way to physically prove that He does. But this statement, as brought to notice in the movie, declares that our lack of evidence for His existence doesn't matter. We trust in Him, we have faith in Him, and we can and will declare that He does live, even in the face of doubt and scorn. God lives and loves us. Why would anyone want to deny this, when His existence and love abound in our lives and can, if we believe, light up our life, give us purpose, and bring us an abundance of joy? That is why, with even the smallest seeds of faith, I and many others declare, "I believe in God."
Do you believe in God?

Comments

Post a Comment