All that God wants is love, faith and that you are a pure devotee ― your love for Him is not measured in terms of your riches or position in life, says OSWALD PEREIRA

It is said that faith can move mountains. But what good would we achieve by a feat like moving mountains? Wouldn’t it be better if faith can move the world to love ― and end all manner of injustice and hatred?

Love and faith, in fact, are intertwined with each other. You love a person only if you have faith in her/him. And your faith is strengthened as love grows for that person.

What brings you closer to God — love or faith? A confusing question, it would seem, at first. But when we ponder a bit, we may come to the conclusion that the two are interlinked. For, to love God we need to have faith in Him. And it is our faith in God that builds our love for Him.

Oswald Pereira

To put the question differently, does love inspire faith or does faith inspire love? Sounds like the tricky chicken and egg dilemma. What comes first, faith or love?

Like there can be no egg without a chicken and a chicken without an egg, it may seem that there can be no faith without love and no love without faith.

Christians chant an Act of Faith prayer and an Act of Love prayer as well. The first affirms, “O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine persons.” The second reiterates, “O My God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all love.”

The two prayers clearly show that faith and love are, indeed, connected and feed on each other, so to say.

The Bhagavad Gita says Bhakti is the love for God and love reinforced by a true knowledge of the glory of God. It surpasses the love for all things worldly.

All that God wants is love, faith and that you are a pure devotee ― your love for Him is not measured in terms of your riches or position in life.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it,” says Lord Krishna. These divine words further establish the connection between faith or devotion and love (for God).

So, since faith and love are intertwined, let us pray that faith and love join hands and form an A-Team to mow down mountains of hate and anger and build a universe full of hope, justice and love.


(Excerpted from the book How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life, edited by Oswald Pereira and published by Vitasta Publishing Private Limited)

Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written eight books, including The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion, How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.

More Stories by Oswald Pereira