Lumen Fidei: Foundations, Creaky and Solid

I’m writing these Lumen Fidei posts mostly for the Catholics in the crowd, but the atheists and agnostics among my readers might find this one interesting to look at.

As I’ve noted elsewhere, Christian faith isn’t simply an assent to particular doctrines; rather, it is a deep and abiding trust in Christ and His Father, and as such is an essential part of the Christian life. But equally, this trust is not apart from belief or knowledge. In paragraph 24 of Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis says,

…we need knowledge, we need truth, because without them we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward.

In short, we need a secure foundation in life, a foundation that provides steady footing; and that footing is knowledge of the truth. Trust in God is essential, but a trust with no regard for the truth is unhelpful:

Faith without truth does not save, it does not provide a sure footing. It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our deep yearning for happiness, something capable of satisfying us to the extent that we are willing to deceive ourselves. Either that, or it is reduced to a lofty sentiment which brings consolation and cheer, yet remains prey to the vagaries of our spirit and the changing seasons, incapable of sustaining a steady journey through life.

(My emphasis.) Faith cannot be just a pretty story that we accept in defiance of good sense. The point of faith in God, of trust in God, is that God’s revelation is trustworthy—it is truthful, it is consistent with the world as it is. It gives us a new perspective on the things we can know on our own, so gives us a clear view of a broader sweep of reality. It isn’t meant to be a spot light that only shows us something over there, in a place we can’t get to; it’s a flood light that allows us to see everything around us more clearly:

But precisely because of its intrinsic link to truth, faith is instead able to offer a new light, superior to [King Ahaz’] calculations, for it sees further into the distance and takes into account the hand of God, who remains faithful to his convenant and his promises.

Ultimately, there is only one Truth. Our human minds are incapable of encompassing it all, but all of the valid truths we learn by whatever means must be part of it, and so must be consistent with each other. Truth is truth; there can be conflicts in our understanding, but not in reality.

And it is knowing the truth that allows us to walk confidently, because we can see the ground clearly—and more clearly with faith than without.