Security

I haven’t ready much by Helen Keller and what I did read was very long ago and probably part of a junior high school assignment. While quotes from her books and lectures can be found everywhere, there’s one that stands out for me and it’s from the book Open Door which is a compilation of previously published material. Kind of like a greatest hits, but of thoughts and ideas instead of music.

If you’re inclined to share, I’m interested to know what you think of the quote and how you relate to it. Personally, I like quotes that are upbeat and positive, but this one isn’t that, at least not for me. But I like the quote because it’s stuck with me, and it makes me think. The quote has always made me feel a little anxious because if security is a superstition, then what are we hanging onto out here? What’s holding us up?

What I’ve never understood about the quote is what she meant by “Faith alone defends”. Faith in what? She tells us that God is not secure and nature isn’t secure, so what is secure? Fate? Fate is kind of scary. Is faith immanent? Faith in ourselves is even scarier.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. God Himself is not secure, having given man dominion over His works! Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” – Helen Keller