Faith Out of Gratitude

Until recently, I have often thought of faith as irrational. My moments of faith do not come from a rational calculation that there is more good in the world than bad, or more peace than violence. Usually I’ve considered faith a God-given gift of hope in spite of all the hardships of the world.

I am starting to reconsider this now, after reading Rev. Galen Guengerich’s article “The Heart of Our Faith,” published last month in the UU World magazine. Guengerich argues that we have to work at developing faith. He writes, “the defining element of our faith must be a daily practice of some kind.”

Guengerich proposes that Unitarian Universalists focus on gratitude as the center of our faith. He also provides guidance as to how one can cultivate gratitude:

“Some members of my congregation keep ‘gratitude journals.’ You can, too. Each morning or night, make a list of things, people, and experiences for which you are grateful. Soon, you’ll find yourself paying closer attention to your life. You’ll notice the change in the air as spring arrives, the fleeting smile of a passerby, the resolute purpose of a child bound for school. Life is constituted by moments like these. The discipline of gratitude gives us a new way of looking at the world.”

I have also found that practicing awareness brings a sense of joy and happiness. But I viewed this earthly gratitude as perhaps separate from faith. Guengerich makes the point that gratitude can be a solid foundation for faith. I still have many questions about the relationship between gratitude and faith, and its theological implications. But I think Guengerich’s article is a good start to exploring gratitude and faith, and in a way that can help us readers begin exploring for ourselves.

(If you would like to read more about cultivating gratitude, please click here for Rev. Cheryl Walker’s sermon, “Faith of the Heart.” Walker and Guengerich both minister at All Souls in New York City, and she is building on his ideas about gratitude).