What is Emunah (pronounced "em-oo-nah") you might ask? Emunah is the Hebrew word for "Faith." However, the way the Hebrew lanugage defines faith may be a bit different then we are used to thinking about it.
For us, many times, faith is more about knowing something and is less about doing anything. In Hebrew, it is the exact opposite, it is less about knowing and is more about doing.
In our bibles, Emunah is generally translated as faith, but that really doesn't serve the translation very well. In cases where Emunah is used, it is there to describe an "innate conviction, a perception of truth that transcends, rather than evades, reason." It's something that having additional wisdom, knowledge and understanding can further enhace, but is not impacted if wisdom, knowledge and understanding doesn't support having faith or emunah. In short, emunah is not reason based. Emunah endures even when reason can't catch up.
From an everyday perspective, an individual may have faith becasue he/she is not interested or in not capable of reasoning for him/herself. If this is the case, then that individual doesn't "own" their faith. They are merely relying on others. In these cases, faith is easily swayed and is inherently weak.
In other cases, the individial may have a profound faith or emunah. In those cases, he/she feels that truth to be a part of their very essence and being. In those cases, they really don't need to have supporting knowledge or reasoning to support their faith. It is something that they just know and they know it regardless of it being supporting by the mainstream academics or others. They are so convinced their faith is true, they will die for it. To deny their faith/emunah, is to deny their very essence.
Knowing this, how strong is your faith? Is it a superficial faith that is easily shaken at the latest news/discovery that goes against it?
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not sight.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
James 1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
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