"Our Daily Blog" #11
A Faith for all Seasons
By Reverend Denise Tracy
The Chinese calligraphy sign for crisis is made up of two brush lines: One is the sign for danger- the second sign is polysemous but among its many meanings is "opportunity".
A crisis gives us the opportunity for change. Sometimes it is easy to assume that if we do everything well and correctly, the easy and good life should be ours. The ideas of the "Prosperity Gospel", proselytized by some of the most prosperous televangelists, seem to be based on this assumption. Each says, “If you follow the Gospel, your life will be good.” This is a fine theology when things are going well: good job, fine home, satisfying family life. But, what about when we receive a challenging medical diagnosis, the job or relationship is lost…Does this mean we are no longer to rest in God’s love and beneficence? Do we earn the blessings of goodness? If bad luck or illness comes our way, have we stepped outside of God’s grace? We may ask ourselves, what have we done to deserve the negative circumstance that has visited us?
The best faith we can have is a faith that does not rely on only the "Gospel of Prosperity". At some time point, everyone who is alive is going to suffer. Negative experiences come with being alive. It could be illness, it could be unemployment or divorce or death of a loved one. It could be a world wide pandemic. No one gets out of this life without being touched by both challenge and change. The best faith is one that cultivates a balance. All life has crisis and from the challenge of crisis both danger and possibility are born. From the worst of life’s experiences, we can learn how strong we are, who our friends really are and, what store of resiliency is at our core. A faith that accepts- and even expects and prepares for crisis- shows us that life embraces both the bitter and the sweet. Teaching us to think about life’s unexpected challenges allows us to gather our skills and resources for both the dangers and possibilities that are born from the crises of life. This faith is a faith for all seasons.
Below, please enjoy an episode of Omni-U Presents: The H3O Art of Life television show with special guest, Reverend Denise Tracy.