Coffee-like faith.

“Go ahead and try it.  See what it is like.”  This was my aunt speaking to me at a family gathering.  I had an empty cup and was standing in front of an urn of that much beloved morning beverage, coffee.  As I hesitated, she encouraged me to give it a try.  As a  young teenager, it was time for me to take the next significant step in my adulting process.  I was going to drink coffee.

She suggested I smooth it out a little with some milk and sugar.  Seeing that she was an experienced coffee imbiber, I took her advice.  I now held a warm cup of irresistible joy, rich in aroma, invitingly fresh, and just the right shade of brown.  It was perfect.

She looked at me expectedly, a broad grin on her face and one eyebrow slightly raised.  Her eyes twinkled.  I love my aunt and at that moment I realized just how much I loved her - she was coaching me toward adulthood.  With my taste buds bursting in wondrous expectation, I took my first-ever sip of that magical elixir.  

My body suddenly convulsed in shock.  The grin on her face broadened.  I almost spit the coffee out but managed enough self-control to swallow hard.  “BLAH!”  Gasping for a fresh breath, I looked at her in confusion.

“Doesn’t taste like it smells, does it?”  She was laughing now.  “It’s an acquired taste.  Keep at it.  You’ll soon learn to like it.  And then you’ll learn to love it.  And then you’ll discover you need it.”  She gave me a quick hug and hurried off to wipe the laughter from her eyes and recount the story to anyone who was willing to listen.

“Not what you expect.  An acquired taste.”  Why do we persist in exploiting the humble coffee bean if what it produces is not what we expect and is an acquired taste?  Caffeine stimuli and addiction aside, part of adulting is learning that one’s initial experience with something doesn’t define its total impact.  Engaging in an exercise regimen may bring the immediate result of a dopamine-serotonin-endorphin hit but it takes perseverance for the beneficial long term effects.  Playing an instrument well requires regular practise and a teacher or mentor.  Waving one’s hands up and down the keyboard while fingers trip all over each other doesn’t produce soul-moving music.  It is, however, an essential part of the process.  It all starts with a few tentative steps around a track, a few awkward plunks on the piano, a hesitant sip from a coffee cup.  

It is commonly assumed that faith is exempt from the “unexpected and acquired” dynamics of life;  it “just happens.”  All we need to do is believe in God.  The rest comes naturally, right?  No, it doesn’t work that way.

When we pause to think about it, it does make sense that “living by faith” follows this same dynamic since life saturated by faith, like learning to run or to play an instrument, is a learnt skill.  It is true that anyone can show up at a track and go around it.  Anyone can plunk out “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on a keyboard.  But to do those things well so they are effective and produce a larger benefit means adjusting our expectations and acquiring a taste for the rigour of discipline and perseverance they demand.

Living by faith is not always easy.  It is an acquired skill that will challenge our expectations.  Praying is more than “talking to God.”  The Bible is more than a dictionary of theology or source book for life hacks.  Engaging in life - representing Christ well and being faithful stewards of His resources - demands careful thinking skills, a community which will encourage one another and dust each other off when we stumble and fall.  These things do not come naturally or easily as individuals or as a community.  But we can learn them together.

I love reflecting back on my introduction to coffee.  I still chuckle when I think of that conversation with my aunt.  I’m even more grateful to the myriad of people who have been a part of my journey in faith - people who have encouraged, corrected, challenged, and taught me what it means to live by faith.  They have helped me move into “faith adulting,” embracing the dynamics of a reconciled relationship with God.  Living by faith:  not what we expect!