Faith for Life’s Journey #2

We left off last time accenting the value of faith for life’s journey. We continue in that vein this post. Many don’t realize how powerful and relevant faith is … so here are some realities to chew on concerning the importance of faith.

Faith is surprisingly dynamic and far reaching. I say “surprisingly” because so many have never taken the time to consider how crucial it is. They have been sheltered when it comes to faith. And they are floored when they begin to see the elasticity and staying power of faith. Faith actually is an amazing, consequential reality in society today. 

Some of you who are reading this know this by personal experience. Faith is a treasure of great import you have richly used to cover life’s terrain for many of life’s miles.

Others of you have been traveling along for some time in life without any clear use of faith, and you doubt that faith is really all that crucial to your journey. You have not seen the need for its guidance, and so you remain skeptical.

Still others of you desire to learn more about faith so you can improve your walk of faith.

Then there are some bystanders who are confused as to which faith to choose and follow. Which one is true and actually benefits life? This group recognizes that not all faiths are built the same, but they’re not yet sure which one to choose.

Whatever your current thoughts, consider the power and influence of faith. Faith is an undeniable force in the lives of hundreds of millions, even billions, in the world today. That is saying a lot. This power and influence is not unique to the modern world either. It has permeated every century of human history from the beginning of recorded history forward until the 21st century. As far as archeologists and historians have discovered, no continent or island where humans have trod has ever functioned apart from religious faith of some kind. In most cases, religion and faith were central to societies.

The Aboriginals practiced their religious faith.

The Mayan’s worshipped and sacrificed. Their temples are still preserved.

Ancient Egyptians had their burial rituals and beliefs about life after death.

Native Americans believed in a master spirit and life beyond this one.

India’s religions go as far back as its ancient civilization.

China’s earliest religions worshipped many gods.

Remaining structures in Mesopotamia testify to their intense religiosity.

And the early Hebrews worshipped the God of Abraham, the Most High God.

As long as humans have traveled life’s journey, there faith traveled alongside. Our ancestors knew faith was needed for the journey. But do people today?

For the most part, the answer to that question is “Yes.” There are no signs that faith is on the way out in the modern world. Some think religion is waning because of the great changes happening in the USA and the secularization of Europe. The west appears to be declining in influence, and Christianity’s power, we are told, is waning with it. However faith in the divine may alter its form, but it shows no signs of slowing down. Persecution against believers comes and goes, but belief always bobs back to the surface. Christianity, which flourished in the west for centuries, is presently growing rapidly in places like Africa and Asia. Islam too is an expanding religion worldwide. Many of the smaller splinter religions are gaining adherents. Eastern religion is gaining in popularity in the west.

Nothing stops faith. Even since the European Enlightenment and the subsequent increase in science and technology, the Christian faith has flourished. Rather than the increased knowledge stifling Christianity, some of the church’s great moments of expansion occurred in the wake of the Enlightenment. Great missionary endeavors and religious expansions arose in those same European and American countries. Many careful observers believe science has only served to point more conclusively to the reality of a Designer and Life-giver. Faith has not retreated in the modern world. It has expanded.

More recently, Postmodernism and globalization have not reduced worship or spiritual interest either. Indeed, moderns have shed many superstitions, fairy tales, myths, and even entire old religions, but it is not looking like it will shed faith anytime soon. Even now we are told that 50 -100 million Americans attend religious services regularly. Currently there are around 300,000 churches in the USA or more. And many who do not attend weekly worship services are still invested in faith in less traditional ways. Faith is a constant theme on the internet and social media. Indeed, the modern world is so heavily invested in faith, it is regularly part of the world and U.S. news.

There can only be one reason for faith’s staying power. Faith is not a fad nor a passing stage of evolutionary development. It is not a social structure forced upon us by the powers that be. Nor is faith only cultivated amidst scientific naïveté. Humans exercise faith because it is ingrained in the human spirit. Faith makes sense to us. We appear as if we were created to believe in a higher power, and no explanation apart from faith satisfies our inquisitive nature. If this were not so, attempts to eliminate faith would be much more effective than they have been. Time and skeptics would have put an end to the nonsense of faith. But here faith stands, to the chagrin of many social engineers, unashamed, unabashed, undeterred.

It only makes sense man is attracted to faith. Widespread shared experience and testimony shows that the human mind naturally searches for meaning in life’s journey which can’t be supplied by science alone. Science is a useful tool, but it is limited to empirical research. What about ultimate meaning and life purpose? How is one to arrive at that knowledge via mere scientific fact? It’s  not possible. That’s why when people share their true inner thoughts or spiritual convictions, invariably they reveal a belief system of something out there beyond themselves – something they can’t explain – something or someone greater, transcendent, very powerful, very smart, purposeful – above and beyond their lives, not accountable to science, which makes sense of the universe and gives their lives a higher meaning.

We see the effects of this striving for meaning and faith in countless groups of people. Through an exercise of faith men and women of all ethnic backgrounds, ranks in society, educational achievements, occupations, interests, personalities, and ages have brought meaning and energy into their lives. Faith permeates all kinds of people and penetrates every area of life. Faith has inspired jubilant family celebrations and has cemented strong societal structures. Faith in the divine has moved people to tears of joy, inspired their awe of the universe, challenged them to attempt great feats, bestowed peace in the face of danger and death, given birth to great philosophers, motivated rousing speeches, and led to courageous new ventures and discoveries. No wonder it has been the recurrent subject of song and dance, plays and theatricals, and sermons and proclamations. Faith is central to human culture. Faith lives! Faith breathes! Faith remains vital and active! Faith is an undeniable, constant, dynamic force among the human race motivating much of the events of human history and human culture.

I don’t mean to sound too rosy or pollyannaish about faith. I realize that faith to many people seems rather unnecessary, nebulous, and irrelevant. These people, (maybe even you) ask legitimate questions, “Why would someone waste time pursuing things associated with faith when the world has so much to discover empirically and concretely – that is – without faith?” “Why should I pay attention to faith and its supposed benefits, especially since some faiths seems to add burdensome requirements rather than wings for my journey?”

Some thoughtful people even think faith is dangerous, narrow-minded, and disruptive to peace. They conclude that faith holds humanity back from advancing forward into a new age of reason, tolerance, and progress. They think, “Sure, it’s been around a long time and done some good, but look at all the deception and damage it has done also.” Consequently, their message to what they call “people of faith” recently has been, “Tone down your belief. You may believe, but don’t wear it on your sleeve. And by all means don’t try to convert others to your faith.”

To those people I would heartily exclaim, Faith is far greater than you think! You would be wise not to dismiss it.

To be fair, far too many have corrupted faith, misused faith, and wrongly presented faith. That is not a knock on faith but its abuse. There is faith which enlightens, delights, rescues, and emboldens. There is faith which harmonizes with reason and goodness. There is faith which brings out what humanity was supposed to be. There is faith which rescues each person from corrupt morals and enslaving habits. There is faith which honors the Originator of humanity. This is the faith we should all set our sights upon getting. Quality faith rescues life from the meaninglessness, aimlessness, and hopelessness of existence. Faith also stands as a surer foundation for ultimate knowledge. It is faith, not science, which justifies education, ethics, compassion, and justice. So faith is more than a nicety. It is a necessity.

As I plan to unfold for you in this blog, proper and wise faith is the smartest avenue to pursue in life. Faith which is based on evidence, sounding thinking, and loves what is good, is the common sense choice for everyone. That kind of faith – not faith in the surreal or faith in the fanciful or faith in the mystical – is a solid commodity to own. Faith in truth can never fail you. It is a treasured possession.

I will address these faith-themes and others including the benefits and dangers of faith, the perplexities and certainties of religion, and the benefits and costs of belief in the divine. Through a number of ongoing posts, we will learn that what we believe matters even more than the fact that we believe. Next time, however, we will look at some deterrents to faith and how to overcome them. Stay tuned!