In his book The Heart of Christianity Marcus Borg, relying on an image attributed to the Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard, speaks of faith as “fiducia”, faith as trust. Kierkegaard memorably suggested that faith is like floating in the fathomless deeps of the ocean. In other words, faith is much less a matter of intellectual assent and more a matter of deep trust in the God’s buoyant love and mercy. Unless it’s the Dead Sea, where one can’t not float, floating in an ocean requires one to let go of control and lie back, trusting that the water’s salinity will indeed bear you up. If instead you remain tense and thrash about, you will undoubtedly sink.
I return to this image often in my own spiritual journey. We live in a culture and society that encourages us to tense up and thrash about in the ocean of our existence. It is not exactly de rigueur to let go, lie back, and trust in some unseen buoyancy. Maintaining control and personal autonomy is prioritized, which engenders high levels of anxiety. We tend more towards mistrust than trust, especially when it comes to that which is intangible and unseen.
As we enter into this new year, anxiety and mistrust seem to be at particularly high levels for many. The temptation to tense up and thrash about is ever-present. Both domestic and global politics have certainly fed into this reality, but many of us may be facing personal circumstances that do as well. I would suggest that this is when it is especially important to trust in the buoyant salinity of the ocean of God’s love. Let go, lie back, and trust! Unclench your jaw, take a deep breath, stop thrashing about in angst, let go, lie back, and trust. If I were into New Year’s Resolutions, this would be mine: let go, lie back, and trust. Allow yourself to float in the vast, unfathomable ocean of God’s love.
Yours In Christ,
Kevin