Belief without Baggage: Belief

Arapaho UMC

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

What if belief was less about agreeing to a rigid set of ideas and more about trusting deeply, even loving deeply? This reflection challenges the narrow notion of belief as mere intellectual assent and reclaims it as an invitation to a dynamic, relational journey with God. In ancient and premodern contexts, “believe” carried the sense of trust and affection—beloving rather than merely agreeing. Jesus' call wasn’t to memorize a creed but to follow—a path of love, questions, and growth. Doubt isn’t the enemy of faith but a catalyst for deeper exploration, a quest that leads to trust and transformation. Belief begins and ends with love: loving God, loving our neighbor, and loving ourselves as reflections of God’s care. In a world longing for authenticity and connection, this journey of “believing as beloving” offers a way to rediscover faith as life-giving, inclusive, and endlessly hopeful.