Journal About "What Is Faith?"
1. Explain one of the key ideas of the section.
One of the key ideas of the section is the identification of the difference between (little f)faith and (big F)Faith. We have come to define faith as a complete trust or belief in a person or thing that one may not have absolute certainty in. This type of faith is in every way non-religious. This can be seen in Jim Goodnight, co-founder and CEO of SAS, a computer software producer. It is apparent that he has faith in his employees and his ideas of how a company should prioritize itself by the fact that he spends massive amounts of money to ensure the safety and happiness of his employees and families. This includes such employee perks as the free daycare center and substantial medical aid. Faith is complete trust and belief in God or some certain set of religious beliefs even though one might not have full certainty in it accuracy. An Iraqi suicide bomber, specifically Marwan Abu Ubeida, is a powerful example of Faith. This Sunni Muslim talks about the day he was accepted as a suicide bomber as “the happiest day of [his] life.” Their Faith in Allah is so strong that these Iraqis pine to take part in jihad and pray to Allah that, to make their mission a total success, they kill many Americans.2. List and explain two of the most important ideas I wish to remember from this section.
The most important idea I want to take away from this section is the story of Dick Hoyt, The Strongest Dad In The World. Due to complications during birth, Dick’s son Rick was born with brain damage and without the ability to control his limbs. Though many doctors told Dick to place Rick in an institution, he refused to separate himself from his son. When one of the students in Rick’s high school class was paralyzed in an accident, the school created a charity run for the paralyzed student. Rick wanted to be a part of the run so his father Dick pushed Rick in a wheelchair for five miles. After the race, Rick old his father “Dad, when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!” Determined to give Rick that feeling as much as possible, he began to train. In 1979, Dick and Rick, Team Hoyt as they were called, ran the Boson Marathon. In 1983, together they ran the marathon fast enough to make the qualifying times. They then began to compete in triathlons. Dick and Rick rode a tandem bicycle and, for the swimming portion, Dick pulled the 110-pound Rick in a dinghy. It was discovered, several years ago, that if Dick had not been in such great shape to compete with his son n these events, his arteries would have been fully clogged many years ago o the point of death. As reporter Rick Reilly states it, “So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.” Dick surely has faith in himself to be able to push his body to such extreme limits. He has faith in the sensation he can bring to his son and faith in the dedication and love that he and his son share. Dick, too, has Faith in God’s plan for him: does not see Rick as disabled but as his son. He sees the limits God seems to have set for him and Rick and surpasses them. He trades physical pain for emotional and spiritual pleasure for him and Rick. Reading this story forced me to ask the question “Would I be brave enough, strong enough, dedicated enough to do what Dick has done?” and forces me to marvel at the faith/Faith/willpower/love that drives Dick.Dick and Rick Hoyt
The second most important thing I wish to remember from this section is the quote from the movie Secondhand Lions. In this movie, a teenage boy is sent to live with his two great-uncles on a farm in Texas. As Walter, the boy, begins to learn about the past of his two great uncles, the three men engage in rather deep conversations. In one conversation between Walter and his uncle Hub, Hub tells Walter “Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love...true love...never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.” This quote gets pretty close to summarizing the section we just read. When he says “Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most,” that is the definition of faith or Faith. The message he gives to his nephew is a hopeful one, that people are basically good as Blaise Pascal had said, that money and power and earthly possessions mean nothing, and that good will always triumph over evil. Those beliefs themselves are the basis for many of the religions alive today. I just think this quote is a great, all-encompassing idea to tie the entire section together.
3. One image that reminds you of the topic.
I chose this picture because, by the very name of the activity, the “Trust Fall,” this action deals with faith. That person falling must have faith in his friends standing in rows behind him, ready to catch him as son as he musters the strength (or the faith) to fall back and place his safety entirely in the hands of his friends.