And they say to him, “Speak to us of belief in what we cannot see.”And he answers, saying:

“Does the baby deny the existence of its mother because from his place within the womb he cannot see her?
Is not the life that flows through his forming veins proof enough of her existence?
Does he not know, without knowing, even in his scarcely forming consciousness, that his very existence testifies to her own?
Or does he, in his correct assumption that he is worthy to be nourished by such a source, take it so for granted he forgets it is even there?...

And I say to you:
Suppose there is a blind man who cannot see the face of one he loves.
Will he – deprived of one sense – deprive himself completely of the beauty of his beloved?
Will he not sense her with whatever senses are available?
Will he not reach out and touch her?
Will he not imagine how she looks?
Do you say the face of his beloved is not real because for him
it is seen only in imagination?

You are wary of believing in things you cannot see, and this is good.
But be wary also of believing only in things you can see, lest you find yourself within a dark, suffocating world.
Be wary of assuming your sight complete, only to discover it is a blinkered sight.
And do not discount that which other senses tell you to be true.

For know this: there is not one thing existent upon the earth,
whether God-made or man-made, that did not first exist in thought alone.
When we step into our dreams, we claim their reality.”

It's OK to believe in what you cannot see.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20, NIV)


© Katherine T Owen, 2009.

The spiritual poem above appears in the book It's OK to Believe, Moving From Head to Heart.

For an explanation of the release – It’s OK to...

For a discussion on the use of spiritual quotes.