Where does faith come from?

Faith is not something we excogitate* ourselves; man does not make himself a Christian by reflection or ethical achievement. He always becomes a Christian from outside: by means of a gift that can only come from another, through the “thou” of Christ, in whom the “thou” of God encounters him.

*According to the dictionary, excogitate is a verb meaning “to think out, plan, or devise.” Just in case you needed that too. 🙂