The book of Hebrews was written as letter to Hebrew people as a way to urge the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. In chapter eleven, the author, who is still disputed among scholars, is declaring a definition of faith and accounting for acts of faith displayed by the Jewish people throughout their history. The first verse of the chapter states, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Hebrews 11.1). From this quote, faith is defined as an acceptance of hope and reality of what cannot be physically testified. It is a pursuit that requires a willingness to act when there isn’t an end in sight or a clear answer to give, but in assurance that there is a greater purpose to
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I took much of the dogmatic and rigid teachings that were based in tradition rather than theology as truth without question, and grew up feeling like I had very little say in my own life. I have spent much of my adult life unlearning things about God that I grew up believing and reexamining my understanding of God, much of which was spurred by accepting that I am bisexual. I’ve been questioning my sexuality since I was in high school, and it was only in the last six months that I’ve been able to unlearn the separation from God I believed I would have as a result of my sexuality. In her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou stated, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” (Angelu), and much of the agony I experienced in my life was due to the shame and guilt I felt in the silence I kept about my sexuality. It was through realizing that I am valuable to God that I was able to reengage my faith in Him. Being bisexual and following God are no exclusive. I can do both, and it is through my dependence in trusting God that I am able to pursue him freely and wholly as …show more content…
My journey is not set and final, but rather changing and developing every day. I desire to follow God and unwilling to accept that my sexuality would prevent me from doing that. Dennis Plies, the author of Embracing the Unforeseen, discusses the nature of faith, improvisation and dialogue, and how they relate to one another in his text. Plies states, “We misunderstand when we think that following the rules is true love, for that path can lead to phoniness and a lack of accountability. In freedom and love there are admittedly convoluted, paradoxical components, until we realize the joy and the privilege of making choices. Human beings function by faith,” (Plies 12). I made the choice to leave behind the shame that I had developed as a result of thinking that hiding my sexuality was a way to show my desire to follow God. As Plies stated, “To live by following the script alone is to live partially,” (Plies 51) and I am worth a full life. Being honest about whom I am and using the freedom I have to pursue God with only faith that he will see me though has caused me to rely on the reassurance that God is with me even when others don’t believe He
I took much of the dogmatic and rigid teachings that were based in tradition rather than theology as truth without question, and grew up feeling like I had very little say in my own life. I have spent much of my adult life unlearning things about God that I grew up believing and reexamining my understanding of God, much of which was spurred by accepting that I am bisexual. I’ve been questioning my sexuality since I was in high school, and it was only in the last six months that I’ve been able to unlearn the separation from God I believed I would have as a result of my sexuality. In her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou stated, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” (Angelu), and much of the agony I experienced in my life was due to the shame and guilt I felt in the silence I kept about my sexuality. It was through realizing that I am valuable to God that I was able to reengage my faith in Him. Being bisexual and following God are no exclusive. I can do both, and it is through my dependence in trusting God that I am able to pursue him freely and wholly as …show more content…
My journey is not set and final, but rather changing and developing every day. I desire to follow God and unwilling to accept that my sexuality would prevent me from doing that. Dennis Plies, the author of Embracing the Unforeseen, discusses the nature of faith, improvisation and dialogue, and how they relate to one another in his text. Plies states, “We misunderstand when we think that following the rules is true love, for that path can lead to phoniness and a lack of accountability. In freedom and love there are admittedly convoluted, paradoxical components, until we realize the joy and the privilege of making choices. Human beings function by faith,” (Plies 12). I made the choice to leave behind the shame that I had developed as a result of thinking that hiding my sexuality was a way to show my desire to follow God. As Plies stated, “To live by following the script alone is to live partially,” (Plies 51) and I am worth a full life. Being honest about whom I am and using the freedom I have to pursue God with only faith that he will see me though has caused me to rely on the reassurance that God is with me even when others don’t believe He