Believing in...
Recently, while professing the Nicene Creed at Mass, I reflected on how years of reciting Saint Peter's sermon (Acts 2) have changed my attitude about life.
A common word in the first sentence among the four predominant paragraphs of The Profession of Faith articulates centuries of what Christians believe and affirms what I believe IN.
For example, when I say, “I believe in…” rather than "I believe that...," a definitive belief is being claimed. An important clue here is the phrase " I believe in..." as the tone is motivational, passionate, and inspiring. As a result, a clear understanding of what is believed is evident.
Watch out! Believing in will change people. Those who have known me a while know my behavior differs from when I was younger. Friends, family, and colleagues have all turned heads. Complicated? Na.
When I say, “I believe that...” it borders on a less meaningful certainty and hints toward a deficiency of confidence. The difference between “believing that” and “believing in” is noted by a decisive response to the latter. In other words, I might say, "I believe that I can swim across the lake," but the likelihood of me acting on that statement is low. The word “that” in the statement is a clue I might not be so sure about.
On the other hand, when I say “I believe in” while reciting the Nicene Creed, I am committing to the oath based on cherished convictions close to my heart and mind. Challenging enough, trust is also affiliated with believing in me as my decisions about living a life with Christ intertwine with The Creed. I trust in the history of the Church and its proclamation (325 A.D). Just like the Fathers of our faith during antiquity, a communal promise is made among the faithful and, therefore, requires belief and trust in the community.
Now, for readers who may claim this blog is more about semantics than faith, I say, “Believe in me.” My approach to writing this narrative is to make you a believer. It does not relinquish the fact that when I make a statement about what I believe in, it is founded in a deep relationship with God the Father, his only Son Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and abides in the Apostolic Church. Amen.
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