Fearless Faith

It can be hard for people to find themselves outside of their accustomed elements. To be removed from the known and cast into the unknown, sometimes with little notice or fanfare, can be, well … challenging. It can come as quite a shock to those who have been protected and safe all their lives. It’s an unforgiving world that eventually will discover a way to intrude upon our well-being.

Imagining that drastic change will never happen to us sets the table for tough times when reality comes knocking. We all have stories that humble us in ways we are unprepared to confess. What is noble, however, is that we are in good company — the company of one another — as we traverse uneven terrain. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but misery indeed loves company (or at least a caring presence).

The early Pietists of the radical reformation sought comfort not only in one another’s presence but in focusing on the inward revelations brought about by studying scripture and engaging in self-reflection. It didn’t end there. Some also discovered the Anabaptist movement to be a proper contrasting fit with Pietism, one that offered an appropriate sense of community in which to test theological assumption. In other words, religion did not exist in a vacuum for these early believers who took quite seriously the charges of the Word.

These budding theologians were at first out of their element, yet they felt compelled to trust God and to acknowledge scriptural authority where it was seemingly clear, and to woodshed a bit when it wasn’t. They all had to step outside their elements, their safety zones, at one time or another, especially with threats of punishment that included death.

While things are not quite that drastic on the religious front lines in our country today, we can ill afford to stay safely cocooned within the walls of our sacred temples fearing that we will be out of our element if we venture forth. It need not be a strongly overt presence that is called for, but rather a more nuanced representation, something that aligns with spiritual development in relation to a life worth living.

To venture beyond the elements to which we are accustomed is an informed choice to be less comfortable and secure, but also more engaging in our relations with the broader world. That journey need not constitute five-star entertainment that is lavish or grandiose. I suspect Jesus would not be impressed by the marketing of religion these days. The greatest good in our world often arrives humbly without fanfare. It requests a degree of courage from us as we attempt to comprehend the depth of the spiritual gifts offered.

Like the early Pietists and Anabaptists, we don’t have to go it alone for our journey to be a worthy endeavor. A few like-minded souls are a wonderful start. Are we paying attention to the elements around us? Are we willing to work both inside and outside those elements? Only time will tell, but it sure seems as if the time is right to invite Jesus into the neighborhood. Anyone up for a block party?