FADE TO LIFE: Religion, Spirituality, & Faith

Religion, Spirituality, & Faith

I am absolutely amazed at the squeamish approach people are having toward their faith. For crying out loud, we must all believe in something or someone other than ourselves if for no other reason, "we can not have our own backs!" Religion is a way of seeing. It doesn’t change the facts, it simply changes the way we look at the facts. It takes a stressful situation and difuses it because once you relinquish it to a higher power, at least you have the space to take a break from yourself.

From my vantage point, religion is more than a commitment to ethical behavior. It is teaching your eyes how to see the world. Some things have a basis in logic or science and in that we believe. However, some things must be accepted without proof. I find it interesting that we accept so many things we don't understand when it is convenient, yet we reject religion under the auspices that it cannot be proven. How is it that a brown cow eat green grass and put out white milk?

There are certain things that happen to everyone. What we believe or do not believe can not and will not change that. Your belief is for your personal power. The sun rises, it shines, it burns, and it goes away. Even though many say they have all of the facts, no one knows exactly how it works yet we work around it when it is time to tan.

Biological needs make no apologies for how and when they happen and we had better make provisions for them. The seasons change and we actually have full wardrobes to accommodate them without complaint. We live, we grow older, lose our looks and then we die. Just like clock work and no questions asked. Somebody or something is controlling all of that and it is not man because man would adjust it drastically! I don't question that there is a higher power? He does the same thing over and over again, perfectly! Go figure.

We respond to things because of the person we are. We must work on being the best person we can be and determine how we will see things. It helps if we accept that someone, somewhere, is participating in our development besides us.

We must become comfortable with the word “faith” and know there is a pattern and a purpose in the universe. Once we accept this reality, the world becomes more copeable and less scary. In addition, some things seem worth making the effort to do. Things like do unto others, ask and you shall receive, as a man thinketh, so is he, or how about, knock and it shall be opened? It is called "life's boundaries." Just as a child needs boundaries, we need a track to run on as well.

It is my belief that we must be lifted beyond ourselves to be inspired. At the limits of our own power, we need to turn to a power greater than ourselves. There are some things we can not do for ourselves. If we could, no one would grow old, we would schedule our biological functions, change our physical appearances and perhaps reschedule the seasons. Since we can't do any of those things, let's do what we can. The first thing we can do is to believe in some power greater than ourselves. There is no reason to flaunt it or hide it. It is your life, live it.

We must remember that the mastery of small things is a necessary pre-requisite to the mastery greater things. Let us start by mastering ourselves. It is often said that if you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything. That being said, what we believe is our business and for our benefit. If asked, speak boldly. If not asked, believe strongly--there is a difference. Whatever you do, do not apologize. End of story.