We walk by faith and not by sight, and we can only perceive God as in a mirror, dimly (see 1 Cornthians 13:11) — in biblical times mirrors were made of polished metal, which yielded a somewhat distorted image. Even though faith brings light to our minds and hearts, we often live it out in darkness and we are often put to the test. The world we live in can seem far removed from the one promised us by faith. So many things in life make faith difficult: the terminal illness of a loved one, failure or rejection in its many hurtful forms and just the sheer pressure of day-to-day living with all its stresses and strains.
What are we to do when we are assailed with doubt or when we question our faith or even God’s existence? We are, of course, not alone. Our brothers and sisters who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith were not immune from questions and doubts. And God himself understands our temptation, for on the cross Jesus himself cried out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46 NIV). God is close to us in all our struggles, and in the cauldron of our post-modern and in some ways post-Christian world our faith is often tested and tried. Nevertheless, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the saints and heroes of faith, and they, along with our Lord and Savior, intercede for us.