Faith Prints

Where does one begin to tell their story? The late song writer, John Lennon, once said, “The story can begin or end anywhere.” I suppose that’s true. You begin reading the passion narratives of Jesus during the last week of his life, or you dive into the birthing stories, brief as they are. You might even delve into Jesus’ parables. If you want to take a deeper dive, you can discover a foreshadowing of Jesus’ coming, in the Book of Isaiah, some six centuries before the virgin birth.

My story begins midway into the Twentieth Century. Many of these storied snapshots convey moments in my life, but moments not too dissimilar from your own. For we all have celebrated victories and lived through disappointments. Through the highs and lows God is always there. That may be the underlying theme of these 150 Faith Prints: everyday moments and yet oftentimes God moments.

Faith Prints is a kind of play on words. Many employees have told me they like the “foot prints.” I’ve likened this analogy to forensic science. If we could take one of those lights and shine it on the ground, the floors, the pathways of our lives, we would see the Faith Prints of God crisscrossing this planet. The presence of God is everywhere. God is not contained to a season or a sentiment. God is in the here and now and now and then. The idea for Faith Prints was born in Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.

For over thirty years I honed my love of writing as a church pastor. I wrote pastor’s columns, I penned sermons, wedding homilies, and funeral eulogies. I wrote prayers and I wrote poetry. Then later in my professional career, God opened a door to oversee a Spiritual Care Department within the largest Methodist Hospital System in the world. One week into my new vocational home, I asked the CEO if I could send out a daily on-line devotional to the staff of over 1,400 employees. Her answer was decisive and on my eighth day of employment I began writing Faith Prints Monday through Friday.

Some of the daily devotionals find their home within the walls of this community hospital, but are not exclusively confined to where I work. We are a village of caregivers. We are many faith groups and nationalities. Writing for this diverse body was a great opportunity to communicate upon a larger stage.

Some of the themes you will discover have to do with my fascination with space travel, exploration, God’s creation, light and dark, and God’s presence and grace in the midst of the mayhem and mystery of our lives. God is never far away. These conversations have been written with the sole intent of inspiring others never to lose sight of hope.

I think this has been the objective in my years as a church pastor as well. While written for a specific audience, I believe you will find they speak to a larger audience as well. Therefore, it is my hope that God’s Faith Prints might be evidenced through these holy conversations you now hold in your hand.