The Ability To Even (Collegiate Chronicles)

Spidey-Faith

"It's a leap of Faith."

Last semester, I took a philosophy class. Faith and Reason, taught by the incredible Dr. Buras, was the best class I have ever taken. It had the question "What does Jerusalem have to do with Athens" on the syllabus.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie ever. (No, I will not be taking criticism.) I'll try not to spoil it too much,but Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man has doubts about whether he can actually be Spider-Man. Sure he has the powers, the heart, the determination, but when will he know that he is Spider-Man.

By definition, faith involves not knowing; if you do something by faith, you do not have all the facts, you do not have all surety. According to Thomas Aquinas (loosely): the will can prompt the intellect to give assent to a proposition without all proof if it is for the greater good, provided the cons do not outweigh the pro.

And hence, you move forward by faith.

Miles Morales was never going to be sure he could be Spider-Man. But his world needed the protection of a Spider-Man. He could not putter around waiting for a sign to drop from the heavens, but he could take all that he knew, all his beliefs, his strengths and take a leap towards being Spider-Man.

And leap he did. Boy yeeted himself right off a building. Right along with some glass too.

I don't know what's going on in my life now. Sometimes, I feel like just stopping with all of my efforts and just letting the currents of life carry me where it will. After all, despite my trying, that's what has been going on anyway: life dragging me along wherever it feels like. I have no assurance that it won't still be the same. But I can trust God. I have enough evidence backing my will to make it stop y intellect from giving up. Enough evidence to keep moving.

To take all the leaps.