A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

Before You Can See
“We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Posted on a local business marquee is the following: “Some things you have to believe before you can see them.”

Living by faith is not easy. Even though I believe, sometimes I struggle.

A news anchor posed the following question, “Is there room for faith on the job?” That question led me to the network’s website to learn more. The story was about practicing faith at work without offending others. While I don’t want to discuss this controversial subject, I do believe that living a faith-filled life each day is the only way to live.

That Internet article led me to another website called Edge. The website creators stated their mission: We are interested in “thinking smart;” we are not interested in the anesthesiology of ‘wisdom.’ The motto of the Club is “to arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.”

One question posed by the group is “What Do You Believe Is True Even Though You Cannot Prove It?" Responses, submitted by scientists and other intellectuals, were many and varied. However, their mission statement is what led me to ponder the following: They are interested in “thinking smart” but are not concerned with the “anesthesiology of wisdom.”

The word anesthesia has its roots in Greek. Traditionally, it means the condition of having the feeling of pain and other sensations blocked with or without the loss of consciousness. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and application of anesthetics is anesthesiology. Wisdom is the quality or state of being wise, the knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action. Other definitions include sagacity, discernment, or insight.

Does the group’s mission exclude seeking the higher wisdom of our Lord? Do they really accept that wisdom numbs the human mind? I believe that if we don’t seek the Lord’s wisdom, our hearts become numb.

One statement at the Edge website did ring true for me: “Human nature doesn’t change much.” Man has always questioned God’s existence and there are still many doubting Thomases today.

Believe is a verb meaning “to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.”

Albert Einstein, remembered for his theory of relativity, also believed in the existence of God. He didn’t need proof. Many of his quotes allude to his belief. My favorite is “In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."

How can we be sheep if we refuse to recognize the shepherd? Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

With child-like faith, we can live a faith-filled life.


A collection of Carol Round’s most popular faith-based columns is now available in book form. For more information, readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com