Faith given back to us after a night of doubt is a stronger thing and far more valuable to us than faith that has never been tested.
I'm a lapsed Quaker. I don't go to meetings any more. But I'm very drawn to Catholicism - all that glitter. I'd love to be a Catholic. I think it would be fantastic - faith forgiveness absolution extreme unction - all these wonderful words. I don't think anyone who was ever born a Catholic hasn't died a Catholic no matter how lapsed they are.
Therefore the church is not absolutely necessary as an object of faith not even for us today for then Abraham and the other prophets would not have given assent to those things which were revealed to them from God without any intervening help of the church.
Christianity is not about religion. It's about faith about being held about being forgiven. It's about finding joy and finding home.
Well I've never left my faith - but have I made a lot of mistakes? But was I fortunate that I was brought up in that Pentecostal church where I heard about God's love and God's forgiveness.
I am shy to admit that I have followed the advice given all those years ago by a wise archbishop to a bewildered young man: that moments of unbelief 'don't matter ' that if you return to a practice of the faith faith will return.
From those to whom much is given much is expected. I have been given much - the love of my family the faith and trust of the people of New York and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me.
All great enterprises have a pearl of faith at their core and this must be ours: that Americans are still a people born to liberty. That they retain the capacity for self-government. That addressed as free-born autonomous men and women of God-given dignity they will rise yet again to drive back a mortal enemy.
In the evening of life we shall be judged on love and not one of us is going to come off very well and were it not for my absolute faith in the loving forgiveness of my Lord I could not call on him to come.
Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.