And He Went Out, Not Knowing Where He Was Going

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Keraza Magazine issue 7-8 February 14, 2014

The unknown is the greatest cause of fear and of a sense of lack of faith. Thus, death is but a doorway leading to the heart of the unknown. This is why death causes trepidation and fear. This fear of the unknown, and consequently of death, is the main torque of all human invention and all scientific advancement and discovery. The science of medicine aims at delaying death for as long as possible. Communications and Information Technology, which ghastly evolve with each passing moment, ultimately target unveiling the unknown, to the point that their logo is "Information is power," remaining in the darkness of the unknown is weakness.

This fear of the unknown was not only the catalyst behind all cultural advancement, but it became an integral part of the minute details of everyday living. Maps, directions for use, lists of ingredients, weather forecasts, news reports, etc., all help a person avoid exerting the effort to personally discover the unknown, to decrease the chances of risk and increase the feeling of safety. People have gone so far as to resort to fortune telling, astrology, horoscopes, etc., in an attempt to attain divinity by claiming to conquer the unknown.

This is not so when one follows the laws of the Lord! If the law of the world, which is based on the visible, the evident, and the guaranteed has been firmly engraved in the human nature to the point of living on the basis of "Don't go out until you know where you're going," the law of heaven, which makes no accounting for the unknown says, "Leave first through the work of faith, and later comes knowledge." The Lord Jesus Christ personally stressed the precedence of faith over knowledge and understanding in telling St. Peter, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this" (John13:7). Behold, Abraham, the man of faith, fully understood this law: "And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). As for Moses the Prophet, he did not stipulate with God, before leaving, to give him the work plan, prospectus, timeframe, and roadmap, but rather stipulated: "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). In God's presence, reached through the unceasing Prayer of the Heart, is the only guarantee, as the Psalmist says, "I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You" (Psalms 73:22-23).

How sweet you are, O faith! You are the antidote against all fear of the unknown. At your rock, all human knowledge and planning fall to pieces. You prepare the way to the meek life of submission. It is you, without you we cannot please God. O Holy Spirit of God, give us the fruit of faith, so that when the Son of Man comes, He may find it throughout the earth. Amen.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States