"Faith, hope, love. Those are their names of course, those three-as words so worn out, but as realities so rich."(F.Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p. 24)
These three words of course have been grouped together most famously by Paul in the 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians. He of course says that love is the greatest of these, but all three abide.
In some ways faith seems worn out. There are folks for whom faith is very important. There are also folks who are quite disillusioned with faith. And there is a third group who neither embrace or attack faith, it just isn't relevant. Faith for me is like an old comfortable sweater in some ways. I'm used to it, I'm quite comfortable with it. I also know that my faith has become richer as I've gotten to know people who practice the Christian faith in other denominations. It has grown richer in knowing and listening to the faith journeys of non-Christians as well.
Hope also can seen worn out, especially in a world as cynical and jaded as ours is. Where we talk much more of what's wrong than with what believe to be possible. Yet again for me hope is incredibly rich. It can be the one impetus to keep on keeping on, in spite of the cynicism and negativity.
Love also can be worn out. As a word it gets thrown around so much as to lose its umph if you will. Yet the richness of love that I experience daily keeps it fresh for me. I have the love for and from my family. I have the love for and from God. I have the love for and from my church. I have a love for my country. I have a love for food too. And it is all of those ways of experiencing and expressing love that keeps life fresh and worth living.
Blessings,
Ed
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