Faith and Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish (Prov 29:18) KJV

Faith is a gift that enables us to see beyond the boundaries of the physical world. Like gifts, faith comes in many sizes and types. Faith depends on trust. Those with the least faith trust mainly in themselves. They have a mechanistic view of the world. People who believe this rely on the ability of humans to rationalize what they can’t explain. Their faith is in science and technology. Spirits and God are superstitions. Humans are the product of evolution. People have a mind and body but no spirit. Death is the end of a brief existence during which the main contributions are creative thinking and reproduction to sustain the human species. Those who believe this are often driven by their passions and pleasures. They tend to be near-sighted. Their thinking, planning and priorities are generally limited as they often live for today and the near future. This is the most common approach in developed countries like the United States. Governments and businesses often promote this mentality. They generally focus on short-term goals and issues that are largely reactive to the opinions and demands of society or the ruling elite. ?

King Vulpes is a character who exemplifies this type of thinking. His course through life is driven by his desire for self-gratification. “What is in it for me?” Is his response when others want something from him. King Vulpes readily joins the Brotherhood of Andhun when Princess Oriana is offered to become his wife in exchange for his loyalty.? His lust for her and the political inroads into her kingdom that this marriage offers are what he sees. An added attraction is the possibility of gaining parts of the three kingdoms that resist the new order. Andhun has promised to break up these kingdoms and divide them among his supporters in exchange for their support. King Vulpes does not appreciate or value the wisdom and traditions of his forefathers found in The Past and Future King.

People with some faith believe in God and supernatural beings. They believe that they have a spirit or some kind of life force energy. Those who believe in God tend to view the world as a product of intelligent design by a superior being rather than chance. They have expanded their vision compared to the first group. The people with spiritual beliefs generally have beliefs about life after death. They also tend to be religious, or they at least have morals and rules that honor or appease their gods or spirit beings. Throm is an example of this type of person. His focus is on providing for his family and excelling as a farmer to enhance his status and reputation. However, he secretly has been troubled for many years after reading The Past and Future King. Reading this book has awakened him to the idea that there is more to life than meets the eye. He is drawn to troubling thoughts that the spiritual realm is real, but he doesn’t want to embrace this possibility. Sharing such thoughts would alienate him from his wife and others in the Village. They probably would think him foolish or crazy. Therefore, he lives much like everyone else but internally he knows that he has been changed. I compare this to Christians who know stories from the Bible, but they do not know Jesus as their savior and lord. They fear hell but they put their trust in good deeds or religious rituals as the means to avoid it. Like Throm, they are convicted but not convinced to trust in a leap of faith. Eventually, Throm’s vision expands when he sees the spirits of Tom and Willet. This experience gives him the faith to go to the Enchanted Lake and pass into another world.

The third group of people are those who have experienced the reality of the spiritual realm. These people have been changed internally through the presence of spirit beings. Born-again Christians are indwelt by God himself. The Holy Spirit changes the thinking and character of these Christians such that their behavior and values are different. Their priorities center on loving and serving God and others rather than self. Those who do not have this much faith tend to think that these people are odd or pious. They think such Christians are brain-washed or foolish. Their dislike and lack of understanding can turn into disdain and even persecution. Some people in the third group are possessed by evil spirits or interact with them. These people tend to live in fear rather than love. They are many times tormented and driven to do things that appease these spirits.

The Sons of Light experience the presence and power of their Creator through seeing stones. They are given faith in an unseen being. They are changed as they realize that their Creator is guiding and protecting them. These changes and expanded vision are based on individual experiences and so they happen in different ways. The changes in Tom are gradual as he interacts with mentors like Willet. His faith and vision grow in times of crisis like being lost in the Enchanted Forest. He also grows through blessings and encouragement as evidenced by his spectacular entrance into the elf city of Taliesin. Oriana’s faith and vision grow rapidly once she is taken into the presence of elves during the destruction of Lochlemond. Once she recovers from her wounds, she rapidly acclimates to her new world. She soon is invited and accepts a place of honor at a meeting of elf lords. Her ability to sense the spirit world is evident in her curiosity and suspicions regarding the strange sleep of Tom and Willet. She doesn’t accept their explanation that their comatose sleep state (in which their spirits travelled to another place) was some sort of magic trick. Once she is among the elves, Oriana rapidly develops her relationship with her Creator. This is shown by her glorious appearance when Tom goes to visit her. Tom finds her in an ecstatic trance. Tom suggests that they get married. Although Oriana desires this, she rejects Tom’s proposal because she has received knowledge from the Creator that they must wait and follow another path.

People are naturally nearsighted. We need the gift of faith to see beyond immediate desires. How far can you see?