It’s one of the great trio St. Paul names in his letters: faith, hope, and love. But in our modern world, we often hear “faith” and think of belief—something you either accept or reject in your mind. But that’s not what Paul meant.

In the world of the New Testament, faith wasn’t about intellectual assent. As biblical scholar Bruce Malina points out, in the first-century Mediterranean world, faith meant trust. It was the social glue that held relationships together. To have faith was to stand with someone, to rely on them, and to be in solidarity with them. It’s not abstract. It’s personal. And it’s relational. Faith is about commitment, loyalty, and mutual trust.

One of the best ways to build that kind of faith is through storytelling. When we share stories—of joy or pain, triumph or failure—we remind each other why we’re connected. We remember who we are to each other and why that matters. Stories help us stay rooted in relationship. They allow us to dream together. And more than anything, they call us into vulnerability.

That vulnerability is essential. You can’t love someone from a place of indifference. Love always requires risk. It asks us to open our hearts and be changed. That’s true in human relationships—and it’s just as true in our relationship with God.

When Paul writes about faith, he’s describing the relationship that begins with God’s decision to love us. God loves first. That’s the good news. Our part is simply to respond. And even when we struggle to respond, even when we falter or turn away, God doesn’t pull back. God remains faithful. God’s love is forever.

Faith is how we say “yes” to that divine love. But again, it’s not about belief in abstract doctrines. Faith is a way of life. It’s choosing to trust. It’s showing up with loyalty, day after day, in the hope that we will be transformed by love. And that’s exactly what God promises: that when we put our trust in her, we will be changed.

That change begins with vulnerability. God doesn’t remain distant. God spoke—and the Word took flesh. God took the risk of becoming visible, touchable, killable. The Word entered every place where love is at stake, even the darkest places of human life. That’s how close God is. As close as your breath.

So what is faith?
It’s not certainty.
It’s not having all the answers.
It’s living in trusting loyalty to the One who loves first.

And you can put your trust in that.

“When Paul writes about faith, he’s describing the relationship that begins with God’s decision to love us.”