Loyalty + Trust + Time = Faith

Loyalty + Trust + Time = Faith

John 6:60-69. To whom shall we go?

Mr. Morj, a One Piece YouTuber in his analysis of the Wano arc, contended that a key theme of the manga series is faith, which is based on loyalty, mutual trust, and the passage of time.

In a way, human loyalty and trust are initially borne from witnessing reasonable evidences. A child that experiences the care of a parent grows to be loyal and trustful; believing that the parents’ track record of care is worth having faith in.

The tragedy is that we equate loyalty with fanaticism. We equate trust with unquestioning obedience. Fanaticism + unquestioning obedience = blind faith.

When we choose to have faith in a person, it’s not about having cult-like fanaticism. It is about fully appreciating, as in listening to both our gut and our brains, the authenticity and integrality of the person we believe in. Does the person have a body of work and a track record we can ground our beliefs on? Does the person explicitly make herself accountable to the values and principles she believes in?

Most importantly, if the person does falter and commit mistakes (and this is inevitable), will she be likely to pass the blame or take accountability and improve her mistakes?

On Monday, our vote is an act of faith. I have explicitly mentioned who I will vote for, but I’m not writing this reflection to campaign.

Maybe the invitation is that an authentic faith and an authentic vote is an act that also holds both the believer and the believed accountable. But in this sense, accountability is less about fear, but more about love.

Therefore, whoever we vote for and whoever becomes the next president, let’s hold them accountable.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 127: MAY 7, 2022]