Clinging to Faith

April 27, 2009 by 8 Comments

Whoever clings to his or her faith shall lose it,
and whoever lets go of his or her faith shall keep it.

[A variation on Luke 17:33]
Filed Under: Uncategorized 8 Comments
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  • Anonymous

    Pulleeze! How banal.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/02561146722461747647 James F. McGrath

    More banal than an insulting anonymous comment? Hardly! :)Perhaps I should have said faith is like a bird. If you keep it in a strangle hold, it will eventually die. If you set it free, not only may you find you haven’t lost it, you may find that it carries you, rather than vice versa.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/17303885427565816487 Josh

    James, are you saying we can be carried by little birds?”If you love something, set it free; if it comes back it’s yours, if it doesn’t, it never was.”;^)

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/02561146722461747647 James F. McGrath

    Oh you of little faiths/birds! 😉

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/09539170598198122642 Chris

    Axiomatic though your statement may seem, James, I’m not sure it’s true.Perhaps this might be a bit more what you’re getting at.Healthy faith is like a healthy child: it will grow up, whether you like it or not. You can choose to either accept your child’s coming of age or to deny it. In the former case you and your child can maintain a healthy ongoing relationship. In the latter case your child will leave you to your delusions, and you will die alone in the crazy house.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03597613161014861874 Fred H. Anderson

    James, what you said reminds me of some lines by William Blake that I’ve always treasured:”he who binds to himself a joy does the winged life destroy; but he who kisses the joy as it flies lives in eternity’s sun rise.”I think you are saying that faith is like that. I agree. But then perhaps I am banal too.

  • steph

    Brilliant. Including the expanded bird version. :-)

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/09539170598198122642 Chris

    love the William Blake quote.