MAGGIE’S MEOW: Some Thoughts On FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

By MAGGIE ISHINO

And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three but the greatest of these is Love. —I Corinthians 13:13

Some time ago I wrote an Ochazuke on “Two Beautiful Words,” which prompted me to write some thoughts on today’s article: “FAITH,  HOPE and LOVE.” FAITH is victory. HOPE is expectation. LOVE is devotion.

FAITH

Faith, according to Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary, has six different meanings, but I have chosen only two. One is “Confidence in or dependence on a person, statement or being trustworthy.” Another is “Belief in God or in the Scriptures or other religious writings.”

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE are three necessary criteria of life.

Without faith one cannot “win” over a negative attitude.

Without faith, one cannot live harmoniously or victoriously in the present and prepare for the future.

We need family and friends to depend on and give us confidence in knowing “they are there for us.” When I was a child, I had faith that Mama would be home waiting for me after school and have my three o’clock snack ready for me. She was always there and never let me down.

Because of Faith, we know there is a LIVING GOD.

We cannot see Him in human form but see Him through His wonderful creations, such as the beauty and realm of  ALL nature, the formation of our human body and mysterious circumstances that occur in our daily lives.

HOPE

Hope is expectations of good things. We need to have hope for survival.

Without hope, life is in vain. With hope we can look forward to a bright and wonderful future.

We hope that all aspects of a physical examination test will prove negative.

We hope that we will receive a letter/telephone call from a friend we have not heard from in a few months.

We hope that we will pass the “probation” period at a new job.

We hope that family and friends will be happy, safe and healthy.

We hope that those who became our friends will stay our friends.

We hope that things we look forward to, such as a trip or party, will not be cancelled.

LOVE
Love is devotion. It is something we share because we care. It is possible to even love a goldfish, a dog, a cat or a doll as we do a human being.

Love is something we give to another faithfully and hopefully, be it family or friends. It is a matter of “What can I give?” rather than “What can I get?” That is the true meaning of  love.

We use the word, “love” in many ways, such as, “I love you,” “I love chocolate candy,” “I love swimming,” “I love watching old movies,” “I love reading books and magazines.”

The above are distinct examples that fulfill the desires of the heart, giving us pleasure.

It would be impossible to express my complete thoughts on FAITH, HOPE and LOVE in this article,  but simply and sincerely, the above are some of my feelings about the three sentiments.

Starting this week, Rafu typist Maggie Ishino debuts her new column, Maggie’s Meow. She can be contacted at mishino@rafu.com. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.