For Alex Dunkel on “Misguided Faith” (Oct. 7): Imagine you are with a group of people, abandoned in the middle of the ocean, frantically swimming and barely clinging to life. You then realize that you are being circled by sharks. Once you feel that all hope is lost, you alone notice a boat in the distance. What would you do? You could either 1) swim to it and hop in or 2) die a grueling death. I’m guessing that most of us would get in the boat! Your safety is now guaranteed. Upon settling in the boat, you again have two options: 1) row yourself safely to shore or 2) assist others into your boat and row the entire group to shore. I believe that most of us would aid those in trouble, especially considering that our lives are no longer in danger. Why would we do that? Would we give these people the chance to live simply because we wanted a medal once we reached shore? No, we would rescue them because of our care and concern for their livelihood, regardless if we knew them or not.

This is the same motivation that guides the Christian faith. We do not accept our faith in God because we want to “avoid death” (hell), nor do we simply want a “reward” after surviving the impossible (heaven). Our faith-guided lives are driven by the desire to live life in the most amazing way – to experience God’s grace and love. We do not “convert” people because of any form of self-concern. Regardless of how many people we “save from the shark-infested waters,” our safety is already guaranteed. If we pull up to shore without a single person, we are not any more alive than if we pull up with 5,000. Although it might be difficult at times for non-Christians to understand this love and concern that we have for mankind, I strongly urge you to look beyond the apparent “misguided faith,” and realize the truth behind Christian actions.

Valerie Jennings

junior in LAS