Faith Hope Love

Faith is believing what cannot be seen or proven. Faith is committing to that of which we can never be sure of. A person who live in faith must proceed on incomplete evidence, trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.
“Mystery is not the absence of meaning, but the presence of more meaning that we can comprehend.” (Dennis Covington)


Hope gives us the power to look beyond circumstances than otherwise appear hopeless. Hope keeps hostages alive when they have no rational proof that anyone cares about their plight; it entices farmers to plant seeds in spring after three straight years of drought. “Hope that is seen is no hope at all,” Paul told the Romans. He mentions some of the good things that might come out of difficulties: “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” He lists hope at the end, instead of where I would normally expect it, at the beginning, as the fuel that keeps a person going. No, hope emerges from the struggle, a byproduct of faithfulness.


Love involves caring about people most of us would prefer not to. In Paul’s words, love is patient, does not envy, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs; it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Such a program may seem reasonable on another planet run by different rules, but not on our planet where people act with injustice, meanness, and vengeance. By nature we keep records, right wrongs and demand our rights; love does not.

Adapted from ‘Reaching for the Invisible God’ by PHILIP YANCEY

agape