If faith is involved in everything, and faith is not just believing or knowing but is also all of this culminating in doing, I may have found what the fire inspectors would call a “load-bearing” wall—or even material in the footing. It appears, upon “inspection,” that faith cannot be “extricated” from deliberate being.
Would some tag this as the “courage to be,” maybe? I’m not steeped in enough Paul Tillich to know if that is accurately describing the direction of his thinking or not, but I could go with that point if it was. However, I differ with Tillich’s summation (or reduction) of faith as “ultimate concern” (Dynamics of Faith, 1957, p. 1). I appreciate lots of his thought, but the reason I hesitate to take Tillich lock, stock and barrel is because of the active and actualizing component that being brings. Being and faithful being are participating as a part of more. Tillich may lean most strongly toward this meaning when he asserts the variety of components that are included “in faith as a centered act of the total personality” (ibid. 4-8), but I want to clearly delineate between his phrase “the ground of being” (I’ll not take that on here!) and grounding our being—our participation.
Yeah, yeah, you say… but there are a jillion ways to participate. In fact, you might (correctly) assert, you cannot not participate. Exactly! You are on the money, and this is an important clarification related to identity.
With a jillion “domains,” as Dan said, for me to participate in, who I am being may utilize many voices. However, will my story, my identity—my Way and participation—change in every domain or every different encounter?
I’m still tickled at how much clarity I need long before the “which we are we talking about” ordeal! We'll stay at this, searching for where it leads regarding conflict. What do you think?
Mike C.
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