Fearless Faith

Summer is casually wearing on flowerbed annuals and perennials. Not much has changed temperature-wise, yet there is a smugness one senses in the season that fall is close by. Happily, there is much left of summer that still inspires.

Two elements of the growing season in particular are tied to one another: texture and color. Texture provides the depth and context for the flowers to thrive. Color invites us to pay attention to the breadth of creation and the amazing diversity it represents. Together they constitute a more complete representation of life and living.

It need not be a grand tableau to impress. Color can be something as simple as a lone bloom distinguished against a contrasting background, or the movement of golden grasses caressing the breeze. Texture can be found in the smallest of things, the many rocks strewn about the mulched flower bed, or the dried plants themselves as they begin to respond to the changing of the seasons.

Faith needs both color and texture. Each of us assembles our understandings through elements of both. Background and context are critical, but without the passion (color) a less satisfactory course is realized. Alternately, color alone can blind us to the foundations of faith. Texture is helpful, too, but it occasionally provides annoying rigidity in the form of unyielding dogma. A balance is needed. Imbalance can induce fanaticism either way.

We live in a world culture where electronic communication and social media have established a demanding foothold in our daily lives. We have all discovered the passions of social median in one form or another, but whether it is appropriately balanced with elements of texture and context remains to be seen. It is surprising how willing we are to throw our unfiltered selves into the cyber environment. Truth and reality become distortions, often resulting in heightened anger and the discarding of courtesies previously entertained.

We mourn the loss of community while at the same time promoting stridency in our online presence. Rudeness and disrespect have become the rule of the day it would seem. Christianity pulls us in many different directions, but its one message of constancy is the call to tolerance in our treatment of one another. “… [E]veryone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires… Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” (James 1:19-20, 26) Such condemnation sounds a bit harsh even as we recognize the truth of the statements.

Finding the optimal balance of texture and color is a tall order. It implicates intentionality and real change instead of mere lip service. This thing called life is tough, but our ability to blend both texture and color will go a long ways to clearer understandings. We all tend different gardens in our lives. There are many opportunities for each of us to recognize both color and texture, and balance provides equilibrium for the senses while creating spiritual hardiness and a more steadfast faith.