When we are learning to read as children, we quickly discover that the opening chapters of a novel are often a little confusing. New characters would pop up, strange events would unfold, and nothing seemed to make much sense. But we learned something important: to keep reading. Because we knew, deep down, that a good author would eventually weave all those scattered pieces into a beautiful, coherent story.

Our lives of faith are much the same. Sometimes, we encounter people and …