Traditionally, "believe" means "belove." It doesn't mean, "I think so, but I'm not sure." It doesn't mean, "I accept this intellectually because I have the evidence." No, believing is a matter of the heart. The Latin credo with which the great Christian creeds begin means: I give my heart to this.
The word "believe" has gradually changed its meaning from conveying certainty so deep that I commit my life to it, to conveying uncertainty so unstable that only the "credulous" would rely on it. But faith is simply not about propositions, but about commitment.
To say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is to say "I love this Jesus Christ," and I do. Jesus enables me to see something of God that I do not know in any other way: God truly grounded in the soil of human life and death, and hope beyond death. God who does not rescue us out of this world, but who accompanies us in this world, even in the darkest times. God who is as close to us as our neighbor, as close to us as the stranger. God who surprises us with divine presence as we walk along the road to a familiar place. God who comes not as a judge, but as a child.
To say, "I believe in Jesus Christ" is not to subscribe to a dogma or proposition, but to express a deep commitment to God among us, to God's presence, justice, and love here on earth.
Please e-mail On Faith if you'd like to receive an email notification when On Faith sends out a new question.
Email Me | Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
