Sunday, July 4, 2010

I Will Keep Faith - Always Faithful

I WILL KEEP FAITH 
~ ALWAYS FAITHFUL
 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, 
then counting your blessings before they hatch.”
~
Ramona C. Carroll


It has recently become a fairly regular nightly ritual for me to prepare for sleep by tuning into one of the various old time radio programs (podcasts) that have been previously downloaded onto my IPOD. Each night, a different podcast (episodes of Gunsmoke, Fibber McGee and Molly , Dragnet, Superman or The Lone Ranger) is softly played through a pillow speaker so as to help drown-out the noises of the urban neighborhood and the snoring of a Chocolate Lab. Most of the podcasts of the old radio programs are less than than a half hour in duration but it should be acknowledged that the great majority of the time this tired mind has drifted off to “Sleepy Town” before the selected radio program actually reaches its mid-way point.

A couple of nights ago it was decided to treat myself to a re-presentation of one of downloaded episodes from “The Lone Ranger” radio program. In retrospect, this particular choice might not have been the best for encouraging sleep since it is one of the more action-packed series ...and sleep can be suddenly interrupted by the sound of gunfire, even if the sound is only coming through the pillow speakers. Anyway, my eyes were closing and my brain was shifted into neutral... anticipating sleep in short order.

Cue the music: ♪ ♫ ♪“The William Tell Overture♫ ♫ ♪”.

Narrator speaks:Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! From out of the past come the thundering hoof-beats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again! ...A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty `Hi Yo Silver!'"

Assuming that the rest of the episode would be less-stimulating that the introduction, the program was allowed to continue. My eyelids started to get heavy again and my breathing became more rhythmical, and the words of the radio announcer started to morph into something that sounded somewhat similar to Charley Brown's teacher saying, “Wah, Wah, ...Wah, wah, wah, wah... Blah, Blah, Blah ...Yada, Yada,Yada". The body was quickly going deeper and deeper asleep until (suddenly) the ears tuned-into the voice of a young actor slowly uttering the Latin phrase, “Servabo Fidem”. That might not have grabbed every listener's attention ...but it got this Latin student's to thinking.

The radio play personality was none other than young Dan Reid, nephew to the Lone Ranger. He was starring in this particular episode of “The Lone Ranger”. This episode was titled “The Crested Ring”. At this point in the program, Dan Reid was admiring the ornate ring of a fellow passenger on the stagecoach. He was especially taken by the cryptic writing on the ring. The readers now might be pondering the phrase, “Servabo Fidem” and either ...wishes that they had chosen Latin in high school as their foreign language ...or regrets that they had not paid better attention in their first year Latin class ... or simply hopes that someone would be merciful and shed some light by providing a quick translation of this phrase. In short order it was explained to Dan (and the radio audience) that “Servabo Fidem” is a Latin motto which means, “I Will Keep Faith”. This is not the proper forum to discuss how this particular motto is incorporated into this specific story ...but let's just say that this expression was a key element in this modern day morality play.

Anyone growing up in the household of a U.S. Marine is usually more than a little familiar with the USMC motto “Semper Fidelis”. Again, if you had paid attention in Latin class, you would know that these two simple words translates as “Always Faithful”. Translation might be too easy since to “know” the deep, rich meaning of these two phrases, “Servabo Fidem” and “Semper Fidelis” and (“I Will Keep Faith” and “Always Faithful”) should require some further meditation.

In my California college days...especially during the “Summer of Love”, we often exchanged the salutation “Keep the Faith, Baby” with one another whenever we parted company. Quite possibly, we did not fully understand the mandate that we frequently gave to one another.

Each one of us is encouraged to be a person of faith and to remain faithful. God has given us every reason to have faith ... and to “keep the faith” (always) but our human nature tends to have us trust ourselves more than the Almighty. We are called to faithfulness, ...no matter the circumstances.

It does not take a Rhodes Scholar to know that it is not too difficult to maintain your faith when all is well with you and the world. The challenge of retaining your faith comes as you encounter bumps and snags along life's way.

Some of you may remember the television program in the 80's known as M*A*S*H*. In the episode titled “A Holy Mess”, Father Mulcahy opined, “A faith of convenience is a hollow faith.

A popular axiom that floats around in times of war is, “There are no atheists in foxholes." The theory is that all will embrace God and believe in Him given the right circumstances.  It should be unequivocally asserted that this (unfortunately) is not always true.  Some, even when faced with imminent disaster (and possibly death), lose all hope and thus too... any faith that they may have had in more convenient circumstances.

Some folks, facing any given crisis, might fall into despair and begin to lose faith in the Almighty. It is times like this that some will even reject the God of the Universe since they might be led to believe that God has lost faith in them. Obviously, God has not given us any reason to lose hope or faith in Him ... it is just the weakness of our nature which confuses some to believe that our loving Father has abandoned them. Not only are we called to “keep the faith” but we are directed to share that faith with others.

The first sentence of Article IV of the Military Code of Conduct states, “If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners.” Difficult times actually dictate that we be strong in our own faith but also directs that in such circumstances that we need to lead others through our example. Tough orders!

All of us are called to be leaders of faith. We have a God-given vocation to be faith role models. It may be that we have a calling to share this faith in our capacity of parents ...or simply as a faithful friend. It is not that others are to look-up-to us but we should recognize that people will look-to us as a person of faith. The “light of faith” needs to emanate from us in all that we do... in good times... in bad times … in challenging times... in every crisis we encounter.

How do I strengthen myself to be ready to maintain my faith in God for the sake of my very soul and the souls of others that look me? Scriptures, in Paul's letter to the Romans (Romans 12:12) gives us the answer, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Servabo Fidem”, “Semper Fidelis

So, you can see that in order to “Keep the Faith” and to be “Always Faithful” it is important that we maintain and nourish our own prayer life. A well-developed, mature spirituality requires consistent, open communication lines with our Father, the Creator. It should be reiterated that we cannot be effective in leading others in faith unless we ourselves are first fed and nourished through prayer.

Noticing that this episode of “The Lone Ranger” radio program had come to its conclusion while I was meditating on the phrase “Servabo Fidem”, it was time to try to get a few hours sleep before morning sprang upon me. Again, the head sank into the pillow ... this time without any voices whispering from my pillow.

My eyelids started to get heavy again and my breathing once again became more rhythmical. As I started to slide into my slumber, my mind kept repeating the phrase, “Servabo Fidem”, "I Will Keep Faith”, “Servabo Fidem”, "I Will Keep Faith”, “Faith”, “Faithful”, ...Oh well... there's no time like the present...
"Our Father, who art in Heaven...."