Robert Barron - What Is Faith?
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Peace be with you. Friends, for this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, I want to focus right in on reading number two, which is from the letter to the Hebrews. It’s one of my favorite passages in the New Testament because it’s a great biblical description of faith. I stand with Paul Tillich, the Protestant theologian, who said faith is the most misunderstood word in the religious vocabulary. I think this is especially true today when you talk to people who are critical of religion. What do you hear? Well, there’s reason and evidence-based thinking and science on one hand, and then you’ve got this faith thing over here, which I guess is accepting things on the basis of no evidence. It’s believing any old nonsense. It’s naïveté. It’s superstition.
So, look, I’m for science. I’m not for faith. I always want to tear my hair out when I hear verses like that because that has nothing to do with what the Bible means by faith. Superstition, credulity, naivety- those are all things that are beneath reason. They’re shy of reason. They don’t reach the level of reason. The church is against those things. Now, why? Why? Because we believe that Jesus is the Logos. He’s the logic. He’s the mind of God made flesh. Therefore, what’s illogical is opposed to Christ.
So, please, especially parents, teachers, and grandparents listening to me, whenever you hear someone talking about faith that way, just know automatically to have my face and voice appear to you saying that’s not what we mean by faith. So, what is faith in a biblical reading? Can I begin in a perhaps surprising place? Um, as I record these words, just a few weeks ago, we had the Fourth of July. One thing I love to watch on the Fourth of July, I call it up on YouTube or something, is the scene from that wonderful HBO series on John Adams. Remember, it stars the great Paul Giamatti as John Adams? It’s based on David McCullough’s book.
Anyway, the scene I love to watch is in Independence Hall, and they’re preparing to take the vote on independence during a thunderstorm. There’s dramatic thunder and lightning, and up gets John Adams, giving this stirring speech about what independence will mean and why they should do it. But what’s clear to everyone in that room, especially Adams, is that they knew what a risky undertaking this was. Indeed, at the end of the Declaration, we find, «We pledge our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor.»
That’s not just patriotic boilerplate; they meant it. They knew that by signing that document, in declaring independence, they were marked men. If the British found them, they would be imprisoned and probably hanged. What a risky moment that was! Did they see the future? To some degree, yes. In fact, Adams is rather remarkable in how he envisioned what would happen as that day was celebrated. But could they possibly have seen everything that would come, everything that might come, the dangers in their way? No way. No way. Rather, they risked at that moment. They took a leap. They risked. And from that risk came our country. And that’s no exaggeration; that’s simply the case. Were those men in 1776 unwilling to take a great risk, a leap into the dark, our country wouldn’t have happened.
You know, after I watched that scene, of course, I got drawn into it and I started watching more and more of it. I watched one of the episodes of the series that shows a couple of years later. I think it was 1778. John Adams and his young son, John Quincy Adams, are making their way across the stormy Atlantic. It’s early spring 1778 -a very dangerous trip. Now, why? Well, he was sent by Congress to help Benjamin Franklin as an ambassador in Paris. There they were on a leaky boat crossing the stormy North Atlantic in the late 18th century. It was in itself a dangerous proposition. Moreover, there were British ships all over the place. In fact, they encountered one of them and had to fight it off. They fought the elements; the mast broke, etc.
Adams knew that if the British boarded their ship, he, Adams, would be captured and probably hanged. What a risky journey that was across the Atlantic! And when they left that night, here’s Adams and his 12 -year-old son. When they got on that boat and started that trip, could they possibly have seen what would happen, what might happen? Well, to some degree, but for the most part, no. It was a great risk. There’s a lovely moment, too, a little bit later in the story. John Quincy is now 14. He’s learned French and has been living in Paris with his father. They find out there’s a need for a secretary to the ambassador to Russia, and the language of the court is French.
So John says, «Well, my son John Quincy, he knows French.» The little boy, he’s 14, says to his father, «I hear it’s cold in Russia.» His father replies, «Well, you’re a man from Massachusetts. Shouldn’t bother you. Off you go. Godspeed.» Off goes this 14-year-old kid taking this enormous risk. What came from these great adventures? Well, the development of our country. John Quincy Adams becomes the sixth president and one of the most cultivated of our presidents, partially because of this marvelous training he got from his father and from the risks he was willing to take as a young man.
Look, everybody, at almost every story of the hero’s journey -whether it’s Spider-Man, whether it’s Star Wars, or whether it’s The Lord of the Rings — we love that story, don’t we? We tell it over and over again. They tend to have the same pattern, which is someone beginning in sort of cozy domesticity. Think of Peter Parker, right, with his aunt and uncle in Brooklyn, wherever they were, in this little cozy apartment. Think of Luke Skywalker with his aunt and uncle on this distant planet living a very ordinary life.
Or the best example, I think, is The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo is in his Hobbit hole. The Hobbit hole is really cozy, you know, with nice little furniture, doilies on the tables, books on the shelves, and lots of food. Bilbo’s a little heavy; he’s well-fed. There’s a fireplace going -cozy, cozy, cozy, easy life. Then breaking into that place comes this invitation to adventure. Same with Frodo in The Lord of the Rings -he’s in his little hobbit hole. Same thing. Then he’s summoned to adventure. It’s difficult. Much rather stay home where it’s comfy, warm, and safe. Yeah, absolutely.
Think of John Adams, you know, that day in 1778. He could have said to Congress, «I’m just not going to risk it. It’s too much to cross the Atlantic. I’m going to stay home. Look, I’ll support you with my writing and all that, but I’m going to stay home with my family.» But no, he ventured out. Peter Parker and Luke Skywalker were invited to adventure, and by that, they became the heroes they were meant to be. Same with Bilbo, same with Frodo. They had to leave the hobbit hole, go on a risky adventure, and thereby become the heroes they were meant to be, making the contributions they were made to make.
Now, think about this, everybody. The hero begins in this familiar space that he knows. He’s comfortable. He knows that space. If he never risks, never risks, nothing new would be gained. But the risk, the going out into the dark, allows more light to enter that space, and there’s more for us and their descendants to enjoy. But if we stay in that little domestic space, then we’ll never make any further progress. We always need heroes to draw us on to adventure. Okay.
Now, with all that in mind from John Adams to Frodo Baggins, listen now to the letter to the Hebrews. Faith doesn’t mean believing in any old stupid thing. No, that’s not what faith means, everybody. Okay? Faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Did John Adams see certain things? Yeah, when he took that great risk. But was there much he didn’t see but hoped for? Indeed, the invention of this new nation. Frodo Baggins leaving the hobbit hole -were there things that he kind of grasped or glimpsed? Maybe, but most of it he didn’t see. But there was something he was called to hope for. Now listen further. Who in the Bible is the great figure of faith? Abraham.
And so the author says, «By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country.» That’s what faith means. Everybody, by the way, who was 75 when the story begins, 75 years old. Most 75-year-olds aren’t really up for a big adventure, right? They’re really happy with a hobbit hole. They’re really happy with cozy, safe domesticity. Abraham, though, obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance. So the Lord made a promise: «Abraham, go to this promised land. Follow, and I will make of you a great nation.»
Well, heck, did he understand that perfectly? Did he see exactly how that was going to happen? Did he know where this land was? Hardly. Hardly. Think John Adams, think Frodo Baggins, think of any hero. But he went in a trusting spirit. And because he went — this is no exaggeration — because he went, I’m standing here today speaking to you about the God of Israel. See, it was the faith of Abraham that gave him the courage to go out to discover the promised land, to give rise to the chosen people. And from that land, that people gave rise to Jesus. And from Jesus comes the faith that has spread all over the world. He could barely have understood what the Lord was promising, but he believed it. He trusted in it. He was willing to go on an adventure.
Now, young people especially, listen to me. And now, grandparents, send this to your grandchildren. That’s what faith means. Don’t think of religious people as these nice old fuddy-duddies. It’s the opposite. It’s the opposite. Religious people, people with faith, are those who are up for an adventure. They’re willing to follow God, yes, even into the darkness, trusting in what He’s showing them. The great Ignatius of Loyola had as his motto «semper,» always greater, always more. Never be satisfied with where you are. Always be ready for adventure. Or think of Pier Giorgio Frassati.
As I record these words, he’ll be canonized in a few months. His great motto — he was a mountain climber -is «Verso l’alto.» It means «to the heights.» Is mountain climbing dangerous? You bet it is. Easier to camp and stay in one place? You bet. But no, no, no. Verso l’alto, let’s go up to the heights. People of faith, they’re not fuddy-duddies who stay at home, you know. And they’re certainly not people who believe in any old nonsense. That’s not it. There are people who listen to the word of God and are willing to follow that word, yes, even into the darkness on a great adventure. Abraham is our father in faith. Let’s follow him. And God bless!