Luminous Faith

Feb 15, 2009 Luminous faith

My layman’s understanding of lightwaves from the sun is that they are not seen until they strike a physical object like the earth. Then we see nature in all its glory.

With that in mind, here is Hans Urs von Balthasar: “Faith is the light of God becoming luminous in man.”

Balthasar’s word-picture wonderfully illustrates how true faith can never originate in human effort. Like lightwaves from the sun, true faith always originates in God. It travels to us invisibly, but when it arrives in us, we become its luminous recipients.

The Scripture says, “In your light we see light.”

True faith not only lights up that which is truly true, but in its light we can also discern things that are only partially true. I think this is what Bathasar means when he says that God’s true light can even light up the partial truths of human imagination, or philosophy, or myth. In fact we can only know these as partially true in light of the fullness of God’s faith hitting us from afar, and making us luminous.

The Scripture says (and Bathasar cites): “For God, who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

This all-pervading light reveals the truth that my every action and every thought ought to exude the light of the faith of God freely bathing me from within. And in that luminosity, things revealed to be only partially true should become less present, at least less important.

In the midst of this meditation, another thread came to me: “You have been burdened by the public speaking responsibilities you have in the upcoming weeks. But each day devote one hour to each task, and you will be fine.” I see a glimmer of faith in this thought, like a distant light in a dark forest. I will go towards it; it may be the light of faith.

David Wang

Logos2Go:

Psalm 36.9: For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

2 Corinthians 4.6: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Hans Urs von Balthasar The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, Volume 1, Ignatius-Crossroads, p 156