Something to ponder –
A small note – in keeping with the theme, ‘faith’ in this context is much more than ‘faith’ as in religion.
What is your take on this?
Share with me, with us – it lightens the — journey
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The way I see it, truth is an elusive concept. We can’t even decide on the definition of art or beauty, so absolutes in morality, justice, ethics are even more difficult to agree upon.
I don’t know what faith is, or why it should be necessary. I know that what counts is how you live, not what you hope you’ll get when you’re dead.
Hello Jane,
Yes, truth is elusive and constantly evolves, I reckon. Some emotions and attributes are beyond definition, true.
How we live is what matters. Hoping for returns, strays into the realms of trade, I reckon.
All good wishes,
Eric
Eric, at first (well I could turn on the lights – it is a darkish room) I read 3 times that you said: “Faith keeps all along.” Of course that made no sense so I turned on the lights.
I guess this meant that I had faith in you to write something profound and sensible. And I mean that. Like many here I am guilty of relating faith to religion, but knowing it is so much more. However, this has been a very tough few days and I feel faithless – or depressed (not clinically- for it will lift when I decide that it shall). However, if one is depressive with resultant blood chemistry levels – what is faith really for that person? It must change vastly. That is a real consideration/question.
Hello Liz,
Thank you for your faith in me to write something sensible – I appreciate this with all humility.
Faith is bigger than any institutionalised religion, I reckon, and that’s why I drew attention to it with red font in my post above.
I’m terribly sorry that you’re going through some trying times. Words by themselves cannot be balmy enough but the presence of a loved one, with hugs and soft touches might be the tonic. But when this is not an option?
If I might share my approach. Believe it or not, when I feel low – really low – I retire to church when the place is empty, go down on my knees, touch my forehead to ground before the tabernacle and pray to my god. I know then that He does not give me a burden that I can’t carry – that’s Faith – pure, raw and private. This works for me but might not work for all. As you probably gathered – I don’t buy into most of those theatrics and rituals of formal prayer sessions with a shephard and his flock —
Peace and blessings,
Eric
I appreciate what you said, in your response. I have faith and I am fine. In God, myself, life. But I was really wondering about faith when someones blood chemistry is truly abnormal. When one is truly clinically depressed … where does faith stand then (I wonder).
I do not know enough about what it is to be clinically depressed and will not dare to offer opinions. But sometimes, medical science diagnoses and treats symptoms rather than root causes. What causes abnormal blood chemistry – doctors have their opinions. We hope and trust that they know it all regarding what causes this abnormality.
A simple example: he dies of a heart attack. Yes, will medical science ever dare put down – because “he saw a devil and that shocked him to death”. No, they will sign off as “cardiac arrest” – and no more.
Like I said, I don’t know enough —
It helps me to think of these not as nouns, or “things out there”, but as adjectives and verbs. In other words, I can’t pin down TRUTH or FAITH in the abstract but I recognize them in the qualities and actions of people…..in myself and others as those wonderful sparks that carry us along together bearing the flame of the best we humans can be.
Hello Cynthia,
You’re right of course – TRUTH and FAITH are not absolutes and by themselves don’t mean much. They have to be companion to something – adjectives and verbs fit that bill, I reckon.
I like that – “the best we humans can be”.
Thank you for sharing,
Eric
I think we should never stop looking for truth wherever we can find it, but faith is how we hold onto truth that we can’t prove objectively. We all have to have faith in something, even if it’s only in the fact that we can prove anything objectively.
Very true, David and I like what you say – “we all have to have faith in something”. I can’t imagine what sort of life a person would have if totally devoid of all faith.
Peace,
Eric
Truth is something that many people think they want, but the effort it takes to find the truth is often more than they are willing to commit to it. So to me, an untested faith is much easier to maintain than an untested truth.
What a way you have with sparking discussion, I’m jealous I think 🙂
Hello, Jess, simply love what you say – untested truth vs untested faith – I did not view it in that light and thank you for pointing it out.
No need to be jealous, my dear. As writers our ‘job’ as it were is not to teach (that is pompous, I reckon) but to provoke thought and marvel at the wisdom already inherent in people. And along the way, we get to learn from our readers/commenters – as I’ve just learned from you (as noted above). Should I be jealous of you? No, never jealous but only thankful to you.
Because, you see, quite often the writer is the student, me thinks. Silly is the preacher who thinks he is there to teach – for he is the foremost student of all who are assembled.
From one student to another – have a great week ahead 😉
Eric
I too am a big believer in the idea that we never stop learning, it is one of the reasons I chose science as a career path.
For now my green eyed monster is satiated, and ready for the next lesson.
Thanks for the positivity! Read you later 🙂
Never feed the green-eyed monster – for it grows like weed and clouds out the beauty of the person within 🙂
As the now cliched saying goes, it is the journey that matters, not the destination, and if truth is the destination and faith, journey, then the corollary is that it is faith that matters more than truth.
Hello Vera dear,
Very apt deduction, I reckon. Thank you for holding up the mirror for us to have another view of the same two subjects.
All peace and blessings keep you company,
Eric
Truth we seek but how many fear to confront it, how many can accept it and benefited, how many having seen it choose to deny it, how many can differentiate what is truth.
Faith is work, trust, motivation, persistence, pure and simple instinctive belief – could be for ourselves, for another person(s) and the almighty above us.
We journey to find truth, but we can only hope that faith will lead us to the destination. In this quest, how much to endure is our destiny.
Very thoughtful post Eric.
Wow, Jasey – so many questions and all provocative and ringing with truth too, I reckon.
Truth is as a slumbering beast and not many can handle it when it awakes. As they say, rush not before a sleeping lion, for it’ll surely rouse, run down and devour you – so, it is with Truth – don’t tempt it, for it might just reveal itself.
Much luv and hugz coming your way,
Eric
Sometimes believing in a higher power gives us strength to continue on when the harsh reality of our day to day lives makes us want to give up and throw in the towel.
Deep thought for a Monday, something to make us ponder for the week, Eric?
Hello, hello, hello, Susan 🙂
I totally agree – there must be higher reasons that elude us mortals and it augurs well, if we humble ourselves and accept – simply accept in a ‘higher power’ – I certainly and absolutely do.
Well, did it again, didn’t I – create ripples on a Monday.
Thank you, Susan, for sharing your thoughts,
Eric
Faith has multiple meanings to me. It means the ability to trust that God has a plan for me, It also means the trust in myself to carry out a plan I may not fully understand.
Hello Janna,
Yes, faith is multi faceted – how else can we make sense of much of what’s happening to us, to people and to the world. Beyond a stage, we need to put reason and logic in the back burner and travel on pure faith, I reckon.
All good wishes for the week ahead,
Eric
Have faith in those who care for us and inspire the same faith in them towards us
This is lovely, Padmini – yes, it is a mutual exchange that soothes, uplifts and nourishes us. Commendable thought, I reckon.
All good wishes for the week ahead,
Eric
I have found faith has given me strength and belief in myself again. There are many forms of faith, but my main one is faith to believe again after so many years
Hello Barb,
I’ve been following and reading your blog for some time now, and yes, I can immediately see where you’re coming from – and am happy for you 🙂
All good wishes my dear,
Eric
I think faith means many things – including faith in ourselves.
Hello MJ,
First visit/comment here, I see. Thank you and welcome.
Very true, Faith is multi faceted.
All good wishes,
Eric
Indeed. It is faith that keeps all going. Nice one. 🙂
Hello Rekha,
Yes, it certainly keeps me going too 🙂
Peace and blessings,
Eric
Hey Eric, faith or hope that I will wake up from my sleep allows me to go to bed each night.
Good one – I take it as humour and not more 🙂 – I think we all have that faith, though not all of us are conscious of it on a nightly basis.
Actually, considering the themes in your blog, I expected something spicier – and thank you for having kept your comment ‘gentle’ 🙂
Peace Bro,
Eric
I sometimes make my colleagues laugh at work in the morning when I tell them I made it and death didn’t. As they say, if death is, am not if I am death is not.
I really liked the post and I like your writing a lot too!
a long time ago I saw a play, and in the dialogue was the line “the dictionary defines faith as guess” – I went home and looked it up and found it in our big bound dictionary. I guess it was some agnostic’s attempt at humor.
The meaning I prefer is fidelity to one’s promises, and think it works in two directions.
Hello Bill,
I respect the right of people to believe or not in whatever. It’s their call and their destiny. But I don’t subscribe to ‘faith’ equals ‘guess’ – as agnostics have their beliefs, they should in return respect the beliefs of others, I reckon.
Yes, fidelity – I think you’ve got something profound there. Thank you for sharing.
Peace,
Eric
Hi Eric,
I, too, think of Faith in religion because we do go to church. However, I also think we need to have Faith in ourselves, in others we interact with in our lives and in so many bigger aspects (like in our gov’t) :). Well, that’s another discussion. Anyway, I find that I need to have faith in something bigger, whatever that may be, just so I can somehow make it through all the horrible stuff in our world. Comprehending is impossible at times and some things are just so heartbreaking, I have to have somewhere “to go” in my mind, heart and soul. There’s my two cents! Thanks for this post to make us think again! You’re so good at that! Have a happy Monday, too!
Hello Lauren,
Yes, I too feel that we need faith, that there must be ‘somewhere’ – there has to be – for our mind, heart and soul.
In my estimation, your thoughts and contribution are certainly worth more than two cents, my dear.
You know how I feel about mental lethargy. Got to keep the grey matter churned, I reckon. Keeps me young, handsome and healthy — well, one out of three is a start 🙂
Peace,
Eric
Faith in Truth would be ideal.
Although Faith is Truth could turn out to be ugly because that, I think, is the root cause of most of the problems in the world. 🙂
‘Faith’ and ‘Truth’ are te two most important things that humans need. 🙂 Nice post.
I like this, Manu – Faith ‘in’ Truth is ideal and Faith ‘is’ Truth could be ugly.
Is this something you thought up? There is much truth in what you say here. Very impressive.
Peace and good wishes,
Eric
I did think about it but your post definitely promped me to do so, Eric.
Thanks and Peace to you too. 🙂
For me, considering where I live, it remains difficult to think of the word faith without thinking of the organized religions that surround me. Beyond that, personally, faith means faith in myself to make the most out of my own life, contribute to the future of my students, and instill in others faith in themselves.
Oh, it came through again – no worries. Sometimes, after posting a comment, WP swallows it and makes us wonder – “Now where did my comment go?”
Well, I think some elf in the backrooms of WP fell in love with the comment and reluctantly releases it.
“Hey, Elfie, you can’t keep it!”
“But it is so itsy bitsy lovely.”
“Let it go!”
“Oh, okay then.”
🙂
It remains difficult, considering where I live, to think of faith without thinking of the organized religions that surround me. For me it means faith in myself to make the most out of my life, contribute to the future of my students, and to instill in others faith in life.
Juliana dear, I like what you say – and you’re right. I’m not going to say more, as I need to dwell on your words. What a lovely Monday – I’ve received two comments in quick succession and both set me thinking – just the way I love it.
Peace and blessings my dear,
Eric
Eric, I agree that “faith – keeps all going.” I think that faith is the earplugs against doubt. I just made that up – your posts inspire… 🙂
Blessings ~ Wendy
Hey, this is really lovely Wendy – faith as earplugs against doubt – I’ve to remember that. Learnt something new today, thanks to you 🙂
All good wishes for the week ahead,
Eric