Devotional wonder vs. disbelief or unbelief

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

LIKE Nicodemus who could not fully figure out what to be “born again” means, (cfr. Jn 3,7-15) we can find ourselves incredulous in the face of certain truths of our faith that really are hard to understand, let alone, accept. In cases like this, we just have to have some devotional wonder or awe, rather than disbelief, or worse, unbelief.

To have this devotional wonder, and even awe, means that we should just have a faith-filled response to God’s works, mysteries, and presence that inspires adoration, love and a deeper union with him. This is not mere curiosity but a spiritual posture of humility and veneration before a supernatural reality.

We are not expected to understand everything that is of the spiritual and supernatural nature. But with faith, we can accept them, and only then can we start to understand. St. Augustine once expressed this position when he said: “Credo ut intelligam” which means “I believe so that I may understand.”

St. Anselm of Canterbury also held a similar view by saying “faith seeking understanding.” He believed that faith precedes understanding and that belief is a necessary step toward a deeper comprehension of God’s nature and the supernatural world. It’s important that when we consider the truths of our faith, we do it with some wonder and awe. Let’s avoid downgrading them by treating them like truths of reason alone.

With the truths of our Christian faith, we should pray rather than just study, expressing amazement and gratitude from the heart. It would be good if we can spend some time of silence to meditate on these truths, talking to God in the depths of our heart and listening to him as well. These practices should be learned as early as possible. They are indispensable if we want to be consistent to our Christian identity.

But let’s always remember that the divine gift of faith can only come to us if we are truly humble. Humility involves a certain giving up, a certain dying that actually gives rise to a better life, just like a seed has to die before it grows and bears fruit.

Disbelief or unbelief, on the other hand, is the obstinate refusal to believe the divine or supernatural truths despite sufficient evidence from revelation, miracles, (especially Christ’s resurrection from the dead) or teaching. It is the basic sin that prevents the forgiveness of other sins, as articulated in the Acts of the Apostles: “Everyone who believes in him (Christ) receives forgiveness of sins.” (10,43)

We need to be always guarded against disbelief or unbelief. And this we can do if we stay rooted in Sacred Scripture, regularly reading and meditating on it. We should really learn how to pray, asking God always for guidance and strength that we need. It is also a good idea to surround ourselves with believers who can support and encourage us. We should never be just by ourselves.

Also helpful is recalling those special occasions when we experienced how God has been faithful in our life, how his unwavering love, power and faithfulness have touched and inspired us deeply.

When even a trace of disbelief comes to mind, we should be quick to nip it in the bud. Let’s follow what St. Anselm once advised: “If one can understand, one should thank God; if one cannot, one should bow one’s head in veneration rather than sound off trumpets.”

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com