Faith

Waffles without a waffle maker? My waffle maker died some time ago, and since we don’t make waffles all that often, I haven’t bothered buying a new one. But then today, when I really, really wanted waffles, I discovered that I can also have them: You can make them on your griddle! I followed this recipe, but with some alternations (I added much more yoghurt). I had mine with slices of pear.

“You’ve got to have faith,” we tell one another when things look bleak.

When things are going well, I rarely stop to think about faith. But when I get hit with a truckload of problems, I realize the importance of it. Unfortunately, I’m very much a doubting Thomas. But I think that if we practice a little bit of faith (whatever it is) every day, then we might have more when those moments come, that call for it. 

“Listen,” said Ardeshir. “Here’s a lesson in faith. There once was a great warrior named Egrid. He was one of the great heroes of the Ascylian Age, which is noted for its wars and terrors, when skies were dark with rage. Egrid was large and handsome, with the clear skin and grey eyes of the people of the North. He had in his possession a mighty sword, seven times stronger and seven times sharper than any other sword on this Earth, he had a shield nothing could penetrate, and a helmet with a long plume. These three things he had in his possession, yet his heart was always fearful. He rode a stallion named Eben, and Eben was black with hooves and mane of silver. One night, Egrid was told to ride through the vast forests, across the deserts and over the mountains to the End of the World. This he was told, the mighty Egrid. He took his sword, he took his shield and he took his plumed helmet and laid them out before him and bowed down and prayed, as was his people’s custom.

“I fled to Your protection, I implored Your help, and I sought your intercession,” he prayed. “Never have You failed me. In Your great mercy, come to my rescue once more.” And he saddled Eben, took his sword and his shield and covered his head with the helmet and rode out into the dark night.

He rode for days and nights until he came to a well. A thrush sat in the thicket next to the well, and this is the song it sang:

“You must throw your sword in the well, the well 

You must throw your sword in the well.”

Egrid dismounted his horse and walked up to the thrush.

“Shall I let go of my sword that has fought so bravely for me all these years?”

And the thrush sang:

“Yes, you must let go of your sword.”

“What are you but a bird?”

But he looked into the eye of the bird, and saw that it was God.

And because he had faith Egrid took his mighty sword and threw it into the well, although it pained him to do so.

With only his shield and his helmet he again mounted Eben and rode until they came to a cottage by a river. It was getting late, and Egrid was cold. He knocked on the door to the cottage, and an old woman opened.

“I’m a warrior on my way to the End of the World. I see you have lit a fire, may I sit by the fire and warm myself?”

So the old woman took him in and gave him bread to eat and water to drink. As he sat there in front of the flames, the woman’s cat purred next to him at the hearth. And this is what the cat said:

“You must throw your shield into the fire, the fire.

You must throw your shield into the fire.”

And Egrid looked at the cat and saw that it was God, and because he had faith he threw his shield into the fire, and as he watched it burn, his eyes stung with tears.

The next morning he rode off again. And after many days and nights he came to the End of the World, where the Earth blends with the mists of nothingness and everything recedes from view and vanishes. Egrid climbed off his horse, and fell down to his knees. There were no battles to fight, and no wars to win. Nothing but emptiness lay ahead of him. The Earth opened up and out of it climbed a mole, and the mole said:

“You must bury your helmet in the Earth, the Earth.  

You must bury your helmet in the Earth.”

Egrid saw that the mole was God, and because he had faith he took off his helmet and into the gaping Earth he threw it, covering it in soil with his bare hands, while his heart bled.

“I have now neither sword, nor shield nor helmet,” he lamented. “I have nothing. Yet, when I had my sword and my shield and my helmet I was always afraid. Now that I have nothing, I am no longer afraid.”

“He let go of everything,” said Ramona.

“So that he could gain everything,” said Ardeshir.

“What did he gain?”

“Four are the elements through which Trinity speaks: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. This is what he gained, this is what happened. Having thrown all away in faith, the great warrior Egrid’s eyes were now opened and he could see the mists clearing up and revealing before him the sky. The open air. So he sat up on Eben and with one giant leap they rode over the gap that separates, away from the edge of the End of the World into the World of Infinity.”

“Faith,” sighed Ramona.

“Faith,” echoed Ardeshir.