Having Faith

You either have faith, or you do not, in any given moment. It is hard to sustain faith, whether in Synergy, the universe, God or gods, and everyone experiences moments of doubt. Being alive is hard. Interacting with people is exhausting. Experiencing the world can be traumatic. Holding on to faith when it seems there is no purpose or reason for so much apparently senseless pain seems a monumental task.

Faith is the belief in the framework upon which you rest your faith. That framework exists independently of you and indeed independently of human thought at all if you truly believe in the system you subscribe to! Your belief in it does not create it, merely connects you consciously to it. Since it is independent of you, it’ll still be waiting there for you to come to roost when you’ve finished questioning your beliefs.

There are commonalities between many of the frameworks across millennia and geography. This increases the probability that at least one of those frameworks approximates the reality.

Eternal life is certainly a recurring theme.

At least one omnipotent being tends to be central.

Macrocosm reflects microcosm – the god(s) are human-like in behaviour and appearance – is another tenet.

Falliability seems to be common in spite of omniscience.

Either the majority of people on the planet are delusional, or there is someone watching over us! There is great comfort to be found in the idea of surrendering to a higher power, to relinquishing control and responsibility and resting like a child come home to a good mother for a respite. Even good mothers make mistakes and cause harm, but we have to trust that reparation will be offered, restoration will happen, and nurturing will resume.

No matter which framework you embrace, holding on is hard in times like these but hold on we must.