About Andrew Blair
Living in Maroubra Australia, Pastor,intrigued with the Concepts of other times, Carer for my wife Jessica. Simple web designer and Administrator; photographer, artist and theologian.
Additionally Since the age of 17 I live with uncontrollable Epilepsy and Bipolar Affective Disorder with some Psychotic episodes, for the past 4 years, at least I have been bipolar depressed with no real excitement, periodic bouts of paranoia and other yuck.
“What then, does believing mean?”
Paul’s reply
‘For me, it is holding an opinion(s) that change(s). Similar to how I thought of the world as a child, the world as a teenager, the world as an adult, the world as an older chap, the world as I will see it in years to come. “The World” for me has changed.
Sometimes geography and physics, sometimes people and culture, sometimes technology and science, then a cocktail of all of that – and now – more and more … “goodness” … “kindness” … “love” …
Now replace “The World” with God …
‘In his humanity, Paul expresses St. Paul’s statement or canticle referring to growth in Christian Faith in the Disciples of Jesus.’
1 Corinthians 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
As we move from our childhood in Faith towards full knowledge in Jesus, we pass through the Paradigms of James Fowler’s stages of Faith. “From when I was a child, to the dim reflection in a copper mirror through which we will know, at our ending the fullness of Knowledge.’ All this, as St Paul and Paul intimate may be elucidated in James
Fowler’s Stages of Faith – go to if you are of great understanding
Now more simply the following diagrams express the Growth of Faith its self throughout our encountering God, which may be at any time during our psycho-spiritual journey.
Final Stage of Faith Development
During the final stage, when our Faith and Beliefs are universalize we have reached the point of Self integration wherein we experience complete acceptance of the levels of Faith others’ experiences ,therefore accepting and understand the sub categories of the Meaning of Beliefs and Faith in God that there are various expressions of this experience in other Religious Traditions. That all lead us to God for there is only One though many paths to God.
Due to the environment in which we live crisis at any point during our Spiritual journey can engender the loss of Faith in our Beliefs. At these times we will perhaps return to a more literal understanding of Faith or else these times can be states of Growth catapulting us further towards the total integration if self and therefore the highest level of Faith in our Beliefs.
Or we can convert or revert to other Denominations or religions
Faith in God, faith in Love
Sources: