Why do you always say what you believe?
Why do you always say what you believe?
Every proclamation guarantees
Free ammunition for your enemies (Awww!) –  Aaron Burr, Non-Stop, Hamilton

So I implore you, I entreat you, and I challenge you to speak with conviction; to say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it. Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to simply question authority, you got to speak with it too. – Taylor Mali, Totally Like Whatever You Know?

Darryl Philbin is the most complicated man that I have ever met. I mean, who says exactly what they’re thinking? What kinda game is that? – Kelly Kapoor, “Money,” The Office, Season 4, Episode 7.

We believe… – The Nicene Creed

“Why are you making things so complicated?” I get this question a lot. I am not one to doggy-paddle around in the shallow end of the pool. If I am going to give myself to something then I go to the deep end head first for a dive. My usual response to people is this: “Why would you not want to nuance your faith as much as possible?”

Wanting things simple is fine, but wanting things simplistic is not. Simple faith has complicated answers. Simplistic faith has easy answers. I think the problem is that people get scared they are not smart enough to learn the deep truths of their faith. Or in the words of Taylor Mali’s brilliant poem, Totally Like Whatever You Know?, “It has somehow become uncool to know what you are talking about.”

Why should the anxiety of the lazy prohibit the diligent from articulating clearly the truths of their faith? Don’t let them!!

I pray that others would ask of me: “Why does he always say what he believes?” I pray that the world would ask of the Church: “Why do they always say what they believe?” This is yet another reason I long for my Church to recite the Nicene Creed in Church at Sunday worship. To quote the Hamilton musical again, “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?”

If you stand for nothing, Church, what’ll you fall for?

Here is a video of the Hamilton song I quoted.

Here is a video of the poem by Taylor Mali I quoted.

Here is a link to the Dunderpedia page about the relationship between Kelly Kapoor and Darryl Philbin from The Office.