I Believe

The Nicene Creed begins with the words: “I believe.” The term Creed originates from the Latin word “Credo,” meaning “I believe.”

The Nicene Creed, crafted at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., began with the phrase "We believe," to unify different Christian ‘belief statements’ of the time. At first, the Creed was not meant for the Holy Mass. Later, a shorter version was used in Baptisms, where people responded with "I believe."

This baptismal usage introduced the Latin “Credo” (“I believe”) into the liturgy of the Mass around 1014 A.D. Over time, more reasons emerged for saying “I” instead of “We.” Saint Thomas Aquinas noted that the Church speaks the Creed as one person, united by faith.

“Believe” is a verb, an action like seeing, thinking, calculating, or discovering.
I see a flower; when I see it, my face blooms with a smile."
This is a direct, sensory experience. It is immediate and physical.
But when I believe, what happens then?

Belief has a different kind of impact, less immediate and more profound.
The act of believing transcends mere sensation.

I do not believe in the Sun, because I see it.
I do not believe in music, because I hear it.
I do not believe in a golden rock, for I imagine it.
I do not believe in an idea, for I conceptualize it.

Belief goes beyond sensing, reasoning, imagining, or intuiting.

I believe. But some do not believe.

Some people refrain from belief because they fear to trespass the intellectual boundaries set by human reason. They hesitate to step beyond what their senses and logic can grasp. Within reason's walls, they are held captive.

But I yearn to break free.

I believe because I dare to leap beyond the confines of logical limits. I am willing to confront what lies beyond the reach of empirical and rational knowledge. Like a bird striving to cross the ocean to glimpse the distant shore, my heart longs to venture further.

I believe.

From an epistemological perspective, knowledge is often defined as “justified true belief.” Justification requires evidence. Thus, knowledge is a form of “convinced truth,” verified by facts and evidence.

However, my conviction transcends evidence and facts. Facts are assessed by the human intellect, a faculty limited by our mortality. My spirit is free and potent enough to pierce through any mortal confinement.

Scientific truth is based on facts. Belief is an act of conviction.
This is why some may see believers as being opposed to science.
But are we against science? No.

Science is valuable. It investigates the natural world, leading to discoveries and inventions that enhance human life. We appreciate and rely on science.

But science is a product of human intellect, and there are realities beyond human scientific understanding.

Faith happens when our love-driven will tells our intellect to believe. It’s a trusting surrender that there is something reasonable beyond reason.

Therefore, my belief is not against reason; it goes beyond reason.

I believe.