Blind Faith

Before I become a Christian I used to hate the phrase “blind faith” as it represented ignorance to me. And I believed that’s what Christians want me to have in order to become a Christian like them. As a new believer I still hated that phrase because I believed that I became a Christian based on logical thinking because of the overwhelming evidence supporting Christianity’s claims. Ten years later I am starting to think that blind faith is true faith. Let me tell you how I came to start thinking that blind faith is important.

About three weeks ago around 5 in the morning I heard very sad news to me; this news was so tragic to me that it was by far the saddest and most painful experience I have ever been through. I was so sad and shocked I couldn’t even cry. For the next several hours I was almost speechless and I felt dizzy and sick. Sadly I had my first exam that day and I simply couldn’t focus. When I heard the news I went to pray but I didn’t know what to say...I didn’t even know who I was praying to. I knelt there not saying anything, then I uttered the only few words that I could think of, “Lord, I feel like I don’t know You anymore. I am not sure if You are even listening. But I want to believe in You, I want You to exist, I want You to be real, I want you to be the God I had known, and I want You to be in my life.”

Later that day I realized that my faith before that experience was largely based on logical thinking: God makes sense and His Word works that’s why I believed in Him. But now my faith is largely based on not much other than my desire to believe in Him—blind faith. Don’t get me wrong, blind faith is not bad as people, even us Christians, make it sound. I am not saying that God doesn’t make sense anymore, or that there aren’t overwhelming proofs of His existence or His attributes, or that the Bible doesn’t have proofs of its accuracy. But faith should not be based on science, history, or logical thinking; faith should be based on our personal knowledge of who He is because of what He has done in our lives, and our desire to believe in Him.

The Bible says:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” (Hebrews 11:1-2)

Evidence, and logical thinking might strengthen our faith, but faith is planted within us by the work of the Holy Spirit—faith originates from within us. Two thieves were crucified with our Lord, one at His left and the other at His right, one believed but the other didn’t. Twelve spies went to explore the land of Canaan, two believed but the others didn’t. Nathanael believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because he saw Jesus sitting under a fig tree! While others didn’t believe, and tried to kill Jesus, when He did miraculous signs like raising Lazarus from the dead! Why did some believe but the others didn’t? Didn’t they all see the same things? Didn’t they all experience the same things?

The best example of blind faith in the Bible is of Job. By “blind faith” I mean complete and unconditional (regardless of circumstances) trust in Jehovah God. Why did Job trust the Lord, blessings and God’s goodness? All good things were taken away from him. And he didn’t know that God was going to give him back all the things he had loved and lost. Why did Job trust the Lord, evidence of God’s justice? He was a righteous man who experienced the punishment of an evil man. And all evidence, logically speaking, pointed towards an unfair, cold, and cruel God. Why did Job trust the Lord, encouragement? The only ones who talked to him, his wife and his friends, either encouraged him to curse God and die, or confused him even more. We may never know why Job trusted the Lord except that he wanted to—he didn’t know how else to live.

Blind faith is difficult, so don’t look down on someone who has blind faith—who knows, may be God is more pleased with someone who trusts Him no matter what than someone who is always looking for explanations (even if those explanations serve to strengthen one’s faith). Blind faith is difficult because as humans we learn largely by experience: God is good because the air He has given us is good and the water is refreshing, and the food is fulfilling and tasty, and our loved ones are surrounding us. But what happens when breathing become hard, or water runs out, or food is scarce and our loved ones are no more? Yet we are required to still believe that God is good. Blind faith says, “I believe that God is good simply because I want to believe the Bible which says that God is good.” Blind faith doesn’t mean a person is stupid, can’t think logically, doesn’t feel pain, or doesn’t understand what is going on around him, it simply means: the person understand and experiences all those things but he chooses to live by faith.

I am not ashamed by admitting, “Yes, at times I am running spiritually on blind faith.” Interestingly those times are usually the most important times: the times that carry us from one stage in our relationship with Him to the next one. Faith based on logical thinking and evidence says, “These are my circumstance therefore God makes sense”, or “These are my circumstances therefore God doesn’t make sense.” But true faith says, “This is my God regardless of my circumstances.” Faith based on logical thinking and evidence will eventually hit a road block that can’t carry the person through his or her spiritual journey anymore, and that’s when blind faith kicks in.

If you have been a believer a considerable amount of time you probably have experienced something similar in life (probably more than once) that forced you to keep going spiritually on blind faith, even if for a while (a long while may be). I am writing this for you young believers who think that your relationship with God will always work like a mathematical formula: you put this unknown variable in and you get that known value out. Sometime in the future you will probably experience something that will shell shock you spiritually and emotionally. Your circumstances won’t make sense and based on logical thinking God won’t make sense. Everything you have been taught about how God operates and read in the Bible won’t match your reality. That’s when you will have to make the decision to either turn away from the God you have known, worshiped, served, followed, and loved for so long or carry on by blind faith. My advice (or rather warning) is whatever way you choose to carry on don’t ever turn away from Him--choose to believe.

The other day I wrote this little poem and I hope you like it:

Blind Faith by Fadi J.

Are you really good oh Lord?
Do you really care?
Then why is there so much pain,
And life is so unfair?

Do you really exist?
Were you always there?
Do you know about my burdens,
And in carrying them you want to share?

For me you lived and died and now,
A place in heaven for me you prepare?
A man so sinful, worthless, and vile,
A white glorious robe I will wear?

Real or not, good or not,
My faith in your I declare,
In pain or not, saved or not,
Life without you I cannot bear.

How do you see faith? What do you think about “blind faith”? What is your faith based on? Why do you believe? Share with me your thoughts as I would love to hear them.

PS: This photo has nothing to do with the sad news I received. I just wanted to portray sickness, pain, and loss in this capture.

(Toronto, ON; winter 2010.)