Faith is taking the first step even when you
don’t see the whole staircase.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Running on faith—besides being a gorgeous Eric Clapton song—is what we do. Oft defined and debated, faith is the subject of countless poems, books, songs, and spiritual discourses. So mysterious and personal—is it the gateway to awakening? The beginning? The middle? The end?
Common Ground is pleased to share some quotes and images in honor of this holiday season.
Lately I’ve been running on faith What else can a poor boy do? But my world will be right When love comes over you
—Jerry Williams for Eric Clapton
The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.
—Swami Vivekananda
A living faith in God means acceptance of the brotherhood of mankind.
—Mahatma Gandhi
Faith in God includes faith in God’s timing.
—Neal A. Maxwell
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
—Saint Augustine
Through our own recovered innocence we discern the innocence of our neighbors.
—Henry David Thoreau
Beauty lies in the heart. Beauty lies in faith, and faith dwells in the heart. Intellect or reasoning is necessary, but we should not let it swallow the faith in us. We should not allow the intellect to eat up our heart.
—Amma
The world is perfect. It’s a mess. It has always been a mess. We are not going to change it. Our job is to straighten out our own lives.
—Joseph Campbell
Faith is like electricity. You can’t see it, but you can see the light.
—Gregory Dickow
Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be… a prudent insurance policy.
—Elizabeth Gilbert
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.
—Abraham Lincoln
Some things have to be believed to be seen.
—Madeleine L’Engle
The Simple Path Silence is Prayer Prayer is Faith Faith is Love Love is Service The Fruit of Service is Peace
—Mother Teresa
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.
–The Gospel according to Matthew
