Faith Matters February 2026: Leighton Linslade Churches Together
Let your life speak Someone asked me about optimism and faith. Some questions are harder than others! I have never been happy with the choice between optimism and pessimism. And realism sounds too fatalistic, so is there another option?
I think the difficulty is that they are all about what we expect the future to be like. Will it have a rosy finale; end in a horrible catastrophe, or be just the same old, same old?
Faith is not really about our expectations of the future, though some might say it is about going to heaven or that all will be well in the end. But faith is about how we live by our values and beliefs.
If we believe that love is the highest good, or the nature of God is love, or the one thing that makes sense of life is love, then we must live out our love – whether it is for nature, for people, for God or whatever.
Quakers, The Religious Society of Friends to give them their full name, believe that our lives should speak our faith. The short section of the Bible that is the Letter of James, also emphasises putting faith into practice.
Wishful thinking, or doomsday worrying will not change anything. But being determined to be true to what we believe can change the world, one kindness at a time.
Faith is more than words, it is living our truth. It includes hope that good is worthwhile. It is shown in love that does not give up. Actions are greater than words.
It is true that in cold and rainy days, when the media is full of war and lies, we long for good news. But it is not day-dreaming that will bring release, nor will despair disappear of its own accord. Having faith, being faithful, and sharing faith with friends is a way to find the sunshine and salvation in life. So, let your life speak.