Kathleen T. Choi: Faith is a verb

A young man close to me needs a miracle. Despite good medical care and a loving family, he is locked in suffering. Divine intervention is his only hope.

Turning to Scripture, I see three situations in which miracles occur. One is when it’s part of God’s master plan, like the parting of the Red Sea. The second is when the one asking is exceptionally holy, like Elijah or Mary. The third is when the one asking has faith.

I don’t know all of God’s plan for the universe. I do know that I am not exceptionally holy. So, I’m trying for faith. But what is faith exactly?

In the Bible, faith is an action. In every Gospel miracle I can think of, someone does something that Jesus sees as an act of faith, and that act of faith releases Christ’s healing power.

For example, in Mark 2, friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus on a mat. They can’t get close enough to him, so they climb up onto the roof, dig a hole and lower the man into the house. I picture Jesus watching with amusement as the hole widens and the litter rocks its way to the ground. Touched by such determination, he heals the paralytic body and soul.

So, note to self, pray with whole-hearted commitment. I’m not asking that my friend has a few good days or receives patience in adversity. I’m asking for a complete restoration to full health.

Another encouraging example is the Syrian woman in Mark 7. As a Gentile and a woman, she knows it’s unlikely that a Jewish teacher will help her, and Jesus’ initial response sounds like rejection. The food he brings, he says, is for the children of Israel, not ethnic mutts. The mother replies, “But you let puppies eat whatever the children drop on the floor.” She’s not put off by Christ’s apparent refusal, and she wins her daughter’s cure.

So, second lesson. We cannot fully understand why God permits suffering. We believe, though, that God’s deepest desire for us is health, peace and joy. So what if tumors almost never disappear? So what if schizophrenia is considered a lifelong condition? So what if broken backs don’t mend? Miracles are, by definition, impossible — except for the creator of the universe and author of life. So we ask.

I draw my third lesson from the example of Anna and Simeon in Luke 2. Both devoted long lives to praying for the coming of the Kingdom. They spent hours in prayer day after day. Despite Herod’s corruption, Rome’s occupying army and divisions among their fellow Jews, they prayed. And look at the answer they received. God didn’t send another David to lead the Israelites into battle. He didn’t send a second Solomon to create a wealthy and magnificent Jerusalem. He sent a tiny baby who would redeem the entire world, including all who had died and millions yet unborn.

Anna and Simeon lead me to two conclusions. One is that faith doesn’t quit. Yes, peace in the Middle East seems impossible, but keep praying. Yes, abortion on demand seems firmly entrenched, but keep praying. Yes, illness can be a long, painful and depressing struggle, but keep praying. Miracles don’t always happen when we pray, but they do happen. We must act on our faith. We must keep praying.

Finally, I dare to believe that God doesn’t ever actually say no. What he sometimes says is, “Wait. In the fullness of time, I will grant your soul’s deepest desires in ways you cannot imagine.” And faith responds, “So be it. Amen.”