“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these
three; and the greatest of these is love.”
—1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV)
The life of virtue is the human
challenge of following the Divine example—discipleship to Jesus Christ our Lord.
In Christ’s life we see these three virtue exemplified, epitomised, emphasised.
Faith As a Vehicle for Wise Living
Faith combines with wisdom and
truth to be as a vehicle that will get us from Point A to Point B in life—from
life to eternal life, in series, ultimately, with a litany of virtuous
decisions having been made. Through wisdom we can discern truth. Through faith
we can decide and then do what is best for each given situation. Through faith-of-action
we prove we follow God. And through faith we travel from moment to moment in
the right order of things.
Through faith we live the virtuous
life.
Hope As the Fuel of Wise Living
Every vehicle, whether animate or
inanimate, needs fuel. Through energy we produce energy. With hope we have the
motivational basis to do good works; to live the life of faith; to follow hard
after a wise example; to take tough decisions in our stride because they are
right.
Hope underpins faith.
Without hope our faith would
flounder, but when we are hopeless, yet faithful, our faith is revealed as truly
golden. This, perhaps, is the greatest test of faith—to exist and travel devoid
of hope. But otherwise hope and faith are enjoined. And in hopelessness, it may
even be said, with faith, reveals an even more invisible and indefinable
strength of hope.
Love as A Reason for Movement
If faith is the vehicle of
virtuous activity, the way we please God in life, and hope underpins it as the
fuel of that vehicle, love is the very reason for movement. Vehicles imply movement. We only need a vehicle
if we need to move. And life is a pilgrimage of movement. As the passage of
time attests, all things move and change to the direction of God.
In life, we have no option but to
move, and love is the reason for movement. If we have no love we are devoid of
hope and have no strength for faith. But with love comes empowering hope and
strength for faith.
Love is the reason for all this.
If not for love, life would have no meaning, no basis, no purpose, and no
rationale.
***
Faith, hope, and love are the
components of life. These three alone take us from point to point in our lives,
and give us the ability to live the virtuous life. With these three we are able
to move in alignment to the will of God.
***
What is the basis of life?
With faith, hope, and love we have
everything required for movement through life. Nothing else is needed. Faith
gets us from Point A to Point B. Hope underpins faith. And love is the reason
for both.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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