Haymanuta (ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ)
These are the words I taught concerning Faith, for Faith is the hand that holds when the path is unseen, the root that anchors when the storm rages, the fire that warms when all else is cold.
Faith is not blindness, but trust; not folly, but courage. Faith is the Breath of Truth carried in the heart, even when the eyes see nothing.
“Teacher, what is Faith? Is it belief without reason?”
Faith is not the denial of reason, but the trust that reason is not all. Faith is not the rejection of sight, but the knowledge that there is more than sight can behold.
Faith is the seed planted in darkness, trusting it will rise to the sun. Faith is the sailor setting forth, though the shore is out of sight. Faith is the mother who labors in pain, knowing joy will come.
Faith is not stubbornness, clinging to falsehood. It is not credulity, swallowing every word. Faith is the quiet strength that says: “Though I do not yet see, I will walk on.”
There once was a farmer who sowed in drought. The sky was brass, the earth was dust, and his neighbors mocked him, saying, “Why do you waste your seed?” But he said, “The rains will come.” And in time the clouds gathered, the rain fell, and his field was green while theirs was barren.
So it is with Faith: it sows though the soil is dry, and waits for the promise.
Why live with Faith? Because without it, despair devours, fear chains, and doubt scatters. But with Faith, hope endures, courage rises, and the soul is steady.
Why Faith? Because not all is known, and not all is seen. The path is long, and the horizon is hidden. Faith is the bridge between the now and the not-yet, between the seen and the unseen, between earth and heaven.
Why Faith? Because the Breath of Truth is faithful. The sun rises, the river flows, the seed sprouts, though none command it. As creation is faithful, so should you be.
There once was a child learning to walk. His mother held out her arms, and though he stumbled, he trusted her embrace. Step by step he came, and in her arms he found joy.
So it is with Faith: it is the step taken toward the embrace unseen, but surely there.
“Teacher, how shall we live in Faith?”
Live each day with trust in the Breath. Rise in Faith, and you will not fear the morning. Labor in Faith, and you will not tire in vain. Rest in Faith, and your sleep will be peace.
Live in Faith with your neighbor. Do not say, “They will betray me,” but meet them with open hand. Live in Faith with creation. Do not say, “The earth will fail me,” but tend it as one who believes it will endure. Live in Faith with yourself. Do not say, “I will fall again,” but rise as one who trusts the Breath within.
I once saw a potter shaping clay. The vessel collapsed in his hands, but he did not throw it away. He gathered the clay, pressed it again, and shaped it anew. At last it stood, strong and fair.
So it is with Faith: it trusts that failure is not the end, but the beginning again.
When shall you hold Faith? Always. But most of all in trial, in silence, in waiting.
Hold Faith when the harvest is plenty, lest greed blind you. Hold Faith when the harvest is little, lest despair bind you. Hold Faith when you rejoice, lest pride deceive you. Hold Faith when you weep, lest sorrow drown you.
Hold Faith when the path is clear, to keep you steady. Hold Faith when the path is hidden, to keep you moving. Hold Faith when all forsake you, for the Breath does not forsake.
“Teacher, what if I lose Faith?”
Even then, the Breath holds you. Faith is not always a shout; sometimes it is a whisper. Sometimes it is not your grip on Truth, but Truth’s grip on you.
There once was a man crossing a river in flood. He feared he would be swept away. Another said, “Do not fight the current, hold to the rope.” He clung with trembling hands, and though the water roared, the rope held.
So it is with Faith: even when your strength falters, the Breath holds fast.
Therefore I tell you:
Walk in Faith, for it is the bridge across the unknown.
This is what Faith is: trust beyond sight.
This is why Faith matters: it keeps hope alive and steadies the soul.
This is how Faith is lived: in trust, in patience, in endurance.
This is when Faith is held: always, but most of all in trial.
Walk in Faith, and you will walk in Truth.
