4:13 – Blind Allegiance Vs Blind Faith

#faithbites #faithjourney blind

Setting

If you’re an avid reader of #faithbites or follow me on social media, you know that I wrestle with difficult topics. From sex to religion to politics to finance, I’m always wrestling with one thing or another. Often I’m told I’m not liberal enough, not conservative enough, not liberatarian enough, not woke enough, not constitutional enough, not Christian enough, not whatever enough. While I try to be nuanced, I’m not always right and want to learn. When I’m called these things, I often wonder what it would feel like to have blind allegiance to something. That quickly turned me to think about the difference between blind allegiance and blind faith. What does it mean to have allegiance or faith? What does it mean to blindly have allegiance or faith?

Allegiance is defined as “loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.”

Faith is defined as “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”

Can you have faith and allegiance in something? Can they both be blind? Should they be?

How do you describe your faith and what do you describe allegiance to?

Scripture

• John 20:29 – Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
• Proverbs 14:15 – The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Reflection

Our two verses for today, point out the differences in faith and allegiance, blind and seeing. I have faith in my God as I love him and he loves me. That is never changing and is blind as I have never seen him but I believe. Often, I think about what my church and my religion are asking me to do or believe. I question how we as people interpret the will of God. While I have an allegiance to our Nation, it is also not blind. I will question when I see something is not right and try to make it right. Is this good? Is it bad?

Sometimes, I wish I had both blind faith and blind allegiance. It would be easier. I would be able to go throughout my day and not question. But I go back to is this good or bad? Should we have blind faith and blind allegiance? If so, what we are aligning with? When does this change? Should we have faith in something other than God? Where should our allegiances lay?

I don’t know the answers. For me, and this is only me, I have blind faith in God and question, respectfully, everything else. I don’t know if this is right, but for me, it is what works. If that means I am called not enough whatever, that is ok as I’m called loved and Child of God.

What are you called?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, your people are in need of your love, compassion, and healing. We try to sort people into groups and if they don’t fit a specific group, they are called out as not believing enough or being enough. We know that your grace is sufficent and you want us to believe in you with absolute faith. Thank you for helping us to grow stronger in you.

Lord, I pray that you help us get beyond labels and to the heart of what matters: loving you and loving each other. Help us break free of blind allegiances and question that which is not right. We know that you will answer these prayers in your will, in your time, and in your way. Amen.