Michael F Conrad

The Mystery of Faith Michael F Conrad

A Lay Cistercian reflects on three ways to make sense out of what can't possibly be real. I never learned to read and speak Hebrew. I came close a couple of times. All language is merely learning the words and then applying them so that others can understand what you are saying. I have come to the awareness that there are many different languages besides French, English, Spanish. Each language must be mastered to be able to use it to communicate. Science is a language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry are all aspects of it. The problem with knowing about reality is that we all speak different languages with different assumptions about words and meaning. I think of this whenever I look at reality from the viewpoint of three universes (physical, mental, and spiritual). The three distinct universes each have their language. Again, the problem comes when we use the language of science to decipher the spiritual universe. Each uses different languages and measures of accomplishments. The three are one. It is the template for what is real. The Mystery of Faith is the attempt by humans to penetrate the language of God. God tells us what the purpose of life is, but it is Christ, who is God and man, who shows us what love feels like to be human. This book is about three discussions that have helped me find resonance in a sea of dissonance. What doesn't make sense using different human languages makes perfect sense with the language of God, love. One of the reasons Faith does not make sense is that it requires a language that is one of contradiction to what we use in the World. With the Mystery of Faith, we can begin to make sense out of what seems to be an enigma.