FAITH
Here’s what Dictionary.com tells me about faith:
faith
- confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.
- belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
- belief in god or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
- belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
- a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
- the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
- the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one’s promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.
- Christian Theology. The trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.
There is a place in our lives, should we be blessedly misfortunate enough to find it, where we can clarify once and for all the subtle difference between hope and trust and faith. The place is not one you’d ever want to end up in, but we all eventually do, and that’s when we see we’ve been standing on this precipice all along. In the Zen world, this precarious spot is metaphorically called “the top of a hundred-foot pole.” We are instructed to step off of it. Our hope doesn’t help. Trust does. We take a step. And that’s how we arrive at faith. Forward motion.
(Karen Maezen Miller, Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life
)
I’ve been reminded repeatedly these past few days about what it means, looks like, feels like to take a step: terrifying, daunting, unstable, crazy.
Our hope doesn’t help. Trust does. We take a step. And that’s how we arrive at faith. Forward motion.
You must trust yourself in all endeavors and have the faith to put your feet in motion.
(More brilliance from Karen Maezen Miller)
My feet are in motion—tentatively, hesitantly, faith-fully.
My full and oh-so-rich conversation with Karen Maezen Miller is available to members of A Conversational Space as of today. I would love for you to join us there. It truly is lovely.
More information: A Conversational Space
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I love how Sharon Salzberg defines faith: trust in your deepest experiences. That was a radical learning for me as I always thought faith was about believing something – dogma or what have you. It’s not. It’s about noticing and trusting the experience of being alive and that, if I can keep showing up, I can actually handle what is happening. And returning there (here) again and again.
Thanks for writing such a wise heart-provoking post – and blog!
.-= Jennifer Louden´s last blog ..Choose Your Life Mondays – Strengths =-.
I love this definition, Jen: trust in your deepest experiences.. And “deepest experiences” can take so many forms – while grounding us, centering us, holding us to ourselves–and others. Beautiful. Powerful. True.
Thanks for being here. I appreciate you.
Love the picture on this post. Here I go… forward motion.
‘Thought of you when I chose it.
Yes. Forward motion. Faith.
Trust in your deepest experience and move forward.
It’s the knowledge (even better when it becomes a realization), that Sophia is within us, is a part of us, is aching to share her wisdom, and all we need to do is let go. She’ll do the rest.
But the knowing is not always realized, and the trust is not always full, and we stumble and catch ourselves and try again.
Each stumbling carries us closer to her truth, each new attempt gets us a little closer to ourselves. And as soon as we realize that that really means getting us closer to our wisdom, our faith increases a little more.
I love what you’re doing here! And I feel richer and closer to realization because of it!
Namaste and butterflies,
~T~
.-= PicsieChick´s last blog ..At the center of it all =-.
The stumbling is a given, I think. But how lovely to do it among friends. Stumbling with you!
I almost like your comment here, Ronna, better than your original post!
“The stumbling is a given, I think.” Meaning there’s no need to fuss or be scared at it, to be distracted by it, to use it to stop us from going forward.
“But how lovely to do it among friends.” Which takes my attention away from the stumbling itself, and brings my attention to the community, and the ways I can be of help and support to others, and the ways I benefit from others. So for example, PicsieChick me too, I’m also feeling very much richer and closer to realization because of this community.
“Stumblng with you!” Meaning we’re all stumbling, we’re all broken, we’re all healing, we’re all dancing, we’re all stumbling in our dancing, all together. We’re not alone. We’re not misunderstood. We’re not useless or helpless or worthless. Because we’re all in this together. And what feels like stumbling to you, may look like dancing to me.
So thank you, all.
Mmmm. The conversation’s the thing, isn’t it? It’s the space, consistently, in which deeper truths emerge, stumble and, yes, dance! Thanks, Karen.
Thanks as always for being an inspiration to take these steps!
.-= Shawna Cevraini´s last blog ..Never Alone – A Mother’s Love =-.
You’re welcome, Shawna. But thank you!
english is so cumbersome for such stuff .. sanskrit is the language to use for mind, experience, awareness components … shraddha, in this case
Indeed, so many languages: each that offers an new expression, a new turn, a new understanding. All that somehow, despite their differences, understand this thing called faith. Thanks, Gregory.
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