[T]rue faith produces real trust or dependence upon something or someone. In this piece, let us discuss our real trust upon Christ and our systems that form part of our daily life. What is the difference between faith and trust? Well, trust or confidence is the act of faith. You may have faith in your father’s swimming ability, for example, but you’ll never trust your life to him in the sea without a life jacket.
The following poetical snippet was originally written in my Tumblr page. It is plain and no hidden meanings from the viewpoint of the universal Christian experience. Jesus Christ is giving the same faith-experience to His followers. With His indwelling Spirit in the heart, the believers in the US, in the Philippines, or in Japan (anywhere in the globe) have the same stories about how real is Jesus Christ to their lives. “As God Watches Like Father to His Son” is just the reflection on how Christ cares for His genuine followers, the born-of-God Christians.
How is one piece of wood, the so-called Black Narazene, making both news and history every January of each year in the Philippines since Catholic “devotees” worshiped it as a miraculous idol for hundreds of years? The Black Nazarene symbolizes the ordinary Filipinos’ Catholicism and devotion to a god made of wood. “Not at all,” protested the learned academicians and intellectuals who were into the Black Nazarene worship, too. It is how deep the Black Nazarene cult has permeated into the matrix of the Filipino faith system for over 200 years.
When Christ cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus come forth!,” the other dead Lazaruses didn’t rise–only the brother of Mary and Martha. There’s a big difference if you’re KNOWN of the Lord. People claim they know Jesus; but does Christ KNOW them? Are we experiencing Christ’s ownership of our soul?
In politics, the followers of Christ are instructed not to be rebels of the duly instituted authority but rather to pray for their leaders. Some leaders of pseudo-Christian groups went to the mountains during the period of Dictator Marcos in the Philippines and became rebels and combatants. Such wasn’t fundamental Christianity. Here is Christ’s teaching: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17).
What is the greatest form of poverty in this life? Poor pocket? Poor health? Poor relationship? NO! When cancer or accident comes to kill, Christ would say: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…[but] you are not rich toward God.” In Luke 12:20-21, Christ taught about poverty toward God.