A friend of mine in Texas had a favorite uncle. This uncle hoisted the boy up onto the roof of his house one day and told him to go ahead and jump off into his arms. My friend jumped immediately and got a sprained ankle and a busted lip when he hit the ground. His uncle had backed up about two steps as soon as the boy had jumped. The boy was then told by his uncle to think about the nature of trust. For the rest of his life, my friend never forgot his lesson. I learned three lessons from that single action by another boy's uncle. All without words.
One of the first things I taught my own two sons was the necessity of having a Faith. However, I did not become the dictator of that Faith. Rather, I made it clear to them that it was a component required by all men and women in order to successfully negotiate the trail of human life. I have also never allowed others to dictate my own Faith.
I perceive a definite distinction between Faith and Belief, although the two terms are constantly interchanged in daily speech. The difference lies in the fact that the former denotes complete trust and confidence, while the other describes a feeling of acceptance that something is true.
Along the road of life, anyone may be easily persuaded to alter or to change their Belief. Any bit of new information, data or fresh observation from a different perspective can serve to alter a person’s Belief. Faith, by contrast, transcends anything a person could possibly encounter physically, mentally or spiritually and yet remains intact
Some of the major shocks and catastrophes we all endure contain more than enough psychic energy to blow away our Beliefs like dandelion fluff. So, we may surmise that Beliefs are akin to the latest article we read and that Faith is the dictionary in which we look up the meanings of the words. It is certain that storms will come and likely that they will blow our roofs off, so we must also know that we need something absolutely unshakable in our lives.
Humans have developed many ancient and widely accepted forms of Belief, which crystallize into useful, fairly durable facsimiles of Faith. Many of these have been written down in texts. Rivers of blood have been spilled and oceans of tears have been shed arguing over the differences in their dogma. The reverse is also true, wherein existing facsimile Faiths are laid atop transparencies of each other and the parts that match are retained as a skeleton for yet a brand new updated form of Fax-faith.
This practice is commendable in itself, as an attempt to get to the bottom of an unknowable topic but sadly this method is usually engaged in by individuals who desire to dissolve old groups and amalgamate them into fewer, larger groups. These types of activities are extremely rarely used in an altruistic spirit and hardly for the betterment of those so managed, especially in our times today.
Many people I encounter hold out their membership in, or attendance to a given mainstream organized church body as proof of their Faith. I have repeatedly found that the majority of those people display a profound lack of Faith in conducting their day to day lives. A ceremony is a ceremony and a ritual is a ritual, but in both of these, the physical choreography can be performed by a person totally lacking Faith. Ritual and ceremony are merely empty forms designed and intended solely for the practical function of aligning one with a given predetermined man-made belief system.
How then, do we acquire a Faith? The answer I would put forth is that we live, observe, learn, remember and reflect. The religious texts of the world are available to be read by any and all and thus awaiting to be pondered. All seekers already harbour some deeply set ideas on the nature of Faith from their parents, their families and their communities.
Each person must ultimately ask and answer for themselves, a question that is to be found at the well-spring of all Faiths. This situation cannot be otherwise. Those without the courage to do this, shall be forever followers by their own choosing. May they find good shepherds. Those who choose to perform the difficult task, will find their own Creator. And in doing so, they will also find their own place in Creation. After this noble spiritual frontier has been crossed, they will live with a constant awareness of, and an immutable confidence in their personal God.
In the worldview of the brave, Beliefs and facsimile Faiths are like the shadows of different trees on the sand. Often beautiful and very useful for shade and for comfort. Most of humanity are to be found worshiping here. A much smaller group of people plant and tend those trees, while quietly worshiping the Sun. Theirs is one of the most ancient of Beliefs. The glowing orb is the apparent source of light which paints distorted shadow likenesses of the trees. This elite group feels superior to the throng assembled under that shade, whom they manage by way of cleverly pruning the trees. The Sun-worshipers also tend the masses, while living parasitically off of them and holding them in contempt.
A yet smaller group, do their own homework, rise and leave the shade, look far beyond the Sun and inquire as to what makes any star to shine. This tiny group walks among all the others but is armed with compassion rather than contempt. Why is this so? Because they have each paid dearly for the handful of insights they have gained and are soberly aware of the many obstacles and dangerous pitfalls that stand before their brothers and sisters, who have not yet left the comfort of the oasis. This lonely, rare type of person feels an urgency that is directly proportional to their reservoir of compassion. The nearer to the unknowable that they have come, the stronger is their Faith. That is to say, they know by experience, that which cannot ever be conveyed by words.
To sum up, I would say that in reality there can only be one true conclusion that will be reached by everyone. The acquisition of Faith over Belief or Fax-faith is dependent upon a person freely choosing to take leave of the comforts of the shade, beginning to walk and asking their own questions along the way. It is heavy work and the way is necessarily lonely and treacherous. As far am aware, only a very few made it to the well to ask and to answer the question to be found there. To quote the Jethro Tull song, Wind Up, they were “not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.”
To those who languish in the shade, try to be good to each other as you may well need each other’s help if you ever decide to take the only walk that is actually open to you. All the other exits were long ago contained. To those tending the trees and managing the throng, remember that you appear by turns as ill-behaved children or as leeches to those who can see. You have lived off your cattle for so long now that you have forgotten how to survive as men and women, whereas your cattle would easily thrive without you. Therefore, don't spook the herd. They can smell your fear.
fin