Faith Needs Challenge

On the morning of December 7, 1941, "a date that will live in infamy," planes from the Empire of Japan blindsided the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with a devastating attack that took 2,335 lives, wounded 1,143 and plunged the United States into a four year "challenge" of enormous proportion, taking thousands of more lives, to avenge the attack and bring Japan to surrender.
Interestingly enough, 77 years later the Gospel passage for today is about two blind men seeking a cure from Jesus.  His first question to them was "Do you believe that I can do this?"  Before he acts, he demands faith. Jesus requires faith, which is often accompanied by doubt, forcing us to look into ourselves to see if we really do believe. Overcoming these inner challenges may not require a major war effort as in the Pacific; it's much more subtle and may require more than four years, perhaps even a lifetime, to subdue the powers that seek to undermine our faith.  But, if Faith is not tested, is it really Faith?
Bro. Rene