Faith

                 "...When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river."
                                                                     Joshua 3:8b

        Faith. A world unto itself, for it holds within it life, and yet is larger than life. Faith. A mesmerizing call that stirs up deep hidden passions, and promises such a profound sense of purpose that we find ourselves shouting "yes" before we know what is being asked of us. Faith. A way of seeing with such anticipation that somehow the dense shroud of darkness that it by definition calls us into seems less bleak and terrifying than it other wise would - or should. Faith inspires us to want to move mountains, part seas,  cross over flooded rivers on dry ground, and declare the evidence of things not seen.
        Faith. A world unto itself, for it holds within it life, and yet can be small as a mustard seed. Faith. A panic-inducing call that dredges up our deepest fears, requires of us what we know we don't have, and promises nothing but an elusive vision of a distant future. Faith. A small step forward, a quiet nod of assent as we are beckoned into the most desolate and seemingly endless wilderness. Faith is seeing nothing and yet knowing the Eternal is present, nonetheless. Faith strengthens our grip when everything is slipping, it keeps us coming up for air when waves threaten to pull us under, it sustains us as we walk through the darkest valleys, and assures us of those things we can only hope for.
        Faith. A gift. A promise. A command. An exhortation. A call. A decision. A choice. An assurance. It is the beauty and simplicity of eternity wrapped in the painful complexity of flood waters, imposing mountains, deserts, draughts, famine and broken hearts. It is the declaration of something greater, and something better. It is the Kingdom of God come and the coming Kingdom. It is the first, next and last step. It is setting our feet firmly into the depths of the flooding river, trusting that our God has gone before us, and is with us, ready to roll up the waters and direct us through the walls of water that tower over us.
        Faith. It is evidence of the unseen - Christ alive in our hearts, Christ sitting at the right hand of God, Christ reigning forever, of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Faith. It is eternity entering the here and now. It is the miracle of the now and the not yet. It is indeed a mesmerizing, stirring, and yes - overwhelming call for us to give more than we will ever have in ourselves, but promises more than we will ever need.