I confess I don’t know what it means to “have faith.” If it means believing that one’s god is still there, still cares, when things go wrong, that implicitly suggests that the god might not be there, might not care, might not even exist. Isn’t having faith of that sort a symptom of actually having none at all? If it means opening one’s self up to a Higher Guidance solely for the purpose of squelching one’s desires or fears, then isn’t one seeking assistance rather than somehow participating in the trials of the moment, for and with one’s god? Faith of that sort is inherently self-referential, not god-focused. And if it means believing that there will be a better “life” of some sort hereafter if one can make it through today’s trials, does that not border on an emotional crutch rather than devotion for its own sake?
Shouldn’t we rather be possessed by faith than have it, be its instrument rather than wish it instrumental in overcoming our daily obstacles? And instead of succumbing to the veiled despair of wishing for the future, should we rather be the embodiment and expression of our god’s presence and commitment, to and in Our shared here and now?
