Lent 2026 - Reading #30 - Faith
Reading
The Letter to the Hebrews provides Scripture's great definition of faith and its roll call of heroes: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible" (Hebrews 11:1-3). The letter continues with its litany: "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:8-10). And the conclusion: "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland" (Hebrews 11:13-14). Faith, in the biblical vision, is not certainty that eliminates risk but trust that empowers action despite uncertainty.
Reflection
Thirty-two days into Lent, the great cloud of witnesses returns, this time not to teach fortitude but to exemplify faith. Our Lenten pilgrimage has been building toward this: the recognition that human virtue, however real and necessary, is insufficient for the journey. We need something more than clear sight, right action, endurance, and self-mastery. We need the capacity to trust a God we cannot see. Abraham is the archetype of faith, and his story is uncomfortable. He left everything familiar, his home, his family, his culture, based on a word from God. He did not have a roadmap, a business plan, or a guarantee of success. He went out "not knowing where he was going." This is what faith looks like in practice: not certainty, but obedience in the midst of uncertainty. Not seeing the destination, but trusting the Guide. Lent itself is an Abrahamic journey. We leave behind our familiar comforts, our usual diet, our habitual entertainments, our comfortable self-image, and walk into a kind of desert. We do not know exactly what we will find there. We trust that the God who calls us into this wilderness is faithful and that the destination, though unseen, is real. If your faith feels weak today, remember: Abraham's did too. The heroes of Hebrews 11 were not superhuman believers; they were ordinary people who put one foot in front of the other, trusting a promise they could not yet touch. That is enough. That is faith.