The Vitality of Faith
Our faith is not a relic of the past. Christianity isn’t done growing and changing. We don’t want the church or the Christian tradition to become an antique shop just preserving old things. It must evolve and speak to the present. The essence of faith isn’t about preserving traditions just because they’re old, nor is it about disregarding them. It’s about discerning what still has life in it and what needs to change. We must hold onto what is timeless, yet remain open to new understandings. Faith that doesn’t grow becomes stagnant and irrelevant. It no longer moves us, no longer connects us to one another or to the deeper truths we seek.
We need to acknowledge that, at times, the church has drifted from the teachings of love and freedom. Power and fear have taken priority over the core message that should guide us. When fear and control dominate, faith loses its vitality and becomes rigid. But this doesn't define who we must be today.
A religion that is without theology quickly becomes fundamentalist as it begins to interpret Scripture in a literal way, full of cultural bias and with little rational underpinning. Our work is to continually align ourselves with what is essential. We must reclaim a faith that draws on both ancient wisdom and fresh insight, one that transforms hearts, cultivates love, and inspires us toward action. If our faith is to matter in the world, it must be alive—grounded in the past yet ever new.