Raising Abel
The Life of Faith
by
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It becomes really tempting to reach out to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and therefore try to use our wisdom to fix what we think is wrong with the world. However, the Bible is warning us that if we focus on solving our problems first and think that afterward we will still have time and energy to keep our garden [faith], we are mistaken. We erroneously think that somehow finding and fixing the cause of our perceived problems will relieve our discomfort. Faith, not wisdom, was given to us to relieve our discomfort. If we can directly take care of a problem, we erroneously think that we are doing a good thing because we are not depleting any of our faith, and we can save our faith for the times that we “really” need it. We think we are giving faith a break. But just the opposite is true; we won’t find true comfort and rest until we turn to faith first and then, having rested in faith, our problems seem to either take care of themselves or at least, the best solution becomes very clear. I think that is what Vincent van Gogh was getting at when he said:
“It is true that every day has its own evil, and its good too. But how difficult must life be, especially farther on when the evil of each day increases as far as worldly things go, if it is not strengthened and comforted by faith.”
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)
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About the Book
Raising Abel assumes that the Bible would not bother telling us about a cunning serpent, a murderous brother, or a resinous gopher tree, if they didn’t have something to do with the deeper topic of faith. After all, isn’t the Bible “the authority” on faith? Raising Abel explores the most familiar chapters of Genesis, not as a collection of stories of the beginning of time, but as our first and best guide to the subject of faith. The author, as a physician, explains faith within the framework of wellness, dividing the Genesis stories into four parts that answer four questions.
- The Premise: What does healthy faith look like? (Genesis 1–2)
- The Problem: What can cause this healthy state to become “diseased”? (Genesis 3–5)
- The Prescription: What medicine is needed to restore us to a healthy faith? (Genesis 6–9:17)
- The Practice: What must we do to maintain this healthy faith? (Genesis 9:18–11)
Raising Abel reassures us that “there is something greater than a perfectly good world; it is an imperfect world plus faith.” In a perfect world there would be no need of faith. Get ready to experience faith in a whole new light!
About the Author
A practicing physician for twenty-nine years, Ronald Ragotzy has the highest regard for science but a greater passion for the sacred. He spends his weeks working within the evidence-based world of medicine. In his free time, he visits and kayaks with family and friends or travels to see his only son, Declan, at Carroll University. Dr. Ragotzy lives in a Janesville, Wisconsin, 1920s, Tudor-style stucco cottage with a city park in his front yard and a forest preserve in his back yard.