7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2. Corinthians 5:7
I decided to tattoo this verse on me, I know a tattoo it’s crazy, but so is this world innit?
The Idea was wandering in my mind for a long time now, can’t tell if it’s years already. The Idea of the tattoo is rooted on 2. Cor 5:7, walk by faith, not by sight. Every person who asks me what my tattoo means must walk by faith trusting me what it means. They noticed the tattoo, implying they are not blind and ergo they probably can’t read Braille. In the same moment Braille has symbolic value that reminds of the visually impaired among us. Here again even the blind have to walk by faith when I tell them that I have this tattoo since they can’t feel it under my skin. Whether the visual impaired or the visual public, both have to trust in my words when they ask for more in”sight”.
But what does it mean for me to walk by faith and not by sight. As a christian you want to fix your eyes on Jesus and the cross. Everything else in this world will continuously disappoint you. Society might call you names and laugh at you for your faith. Christians are still sinners and will continue to hurt you. Even the Church is still full of us, broken people, who need Jesus to cover all our misery and failure.
One of the biggest mistakes among Christians is to put their eyes on human examples/idols, people who were exemplary leaders with a big legacy that they built or very good theologians. Sadly enough even this great christian examples are sinful and will do mistakes, as we have seen, if that happens then those looking up to them idolizing them will find themself questioning their faith. They were walking by sight, looking up to this christian idols.
They were walking by sight…
You have to keep reminding yourself of what the real foundation of Christianity is. People think that Apologetics is nonsense because it’s usually ineffective when used for evangelism. Whereas the true value of Apologetics in my eyes is to set the firm streets where we can walk by faith. What do I mean by this?
Questioning Christianity to the point where you are able to be confident on what you believe will strengthen your faith. Understanding the logic of the cross will give you a foundation on what to stand on! Even when your eyes show you disappointment, betrayal, sadness, pain, suffering and injustice you will still be able to walk by faith.
What a better example then Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was there crying, suffering full of anxiety, dripping blood from his pores. The only thing he wanted from this world were his friends, to stay awake with him in that night. He asked them to pray with him and keep him company but they failed, several times. Jesus looked at the world and was disappointed in his darkest hours he had to be blind to the disappointments of this world and continue to walk by faith. Walking on his believes on God, the father, Him who he trusted so blindly that in this very moment of misery he prayed…
Yet not what I will, but what you will.
Mark 14:36c
This is the reason for my tattoo to keep reminding myself that my faith is not build on the things I see, a broken world full of broken people, but on the things i do not see an invisible, invincible God who died on the cross and proved to be sovereign three days later when he rose from the dead.
Happy good Friday!