It takes next to nothing—a news story, a phone call, a happenstance event —and in a moment of distraction we’re carried off track. Learning to stand but still sometimes unsteady, we sensitive souls succumb to the weight we perceive. We shut down in our conversations for the rest of the day, we give as little of ourselves as possible to the task at hand, and we both consciously and unconsciously resist connection. We may not speak the words, but the sentiment shows: we feel we’ve lost our faith in humanity.
This feels like failure, like fundamental fallacy. Most of all, it feels like forgetting. And that’s because it is.
For us who are awake, faith is no longer blind. Modern philosopher Jason Silva explains – or more precisely, exclaims -- that “experience is the new faith,” that we’re no longer at the mercy of evidence-deprived theories, that we’ve now physically felt the knowing that we once thought was only a figment of the faithful imagination. We’ve now tasted the truth, awakening to the life-altering reality of love’s potent presence in our own cells. Before, faith was the threshold to a promised truth; now, it’s our reminder of the times we’ve felt it firsthand.
Faith means something new now, but it’s still ever so important. It’s the stability that underlies each bold step we take, and the confidence that allows us to consciously create. It’s the releasing of tension and the realization of love; the quieting of the monkey mind, rendering consciousness unified.
Faith, as a concept, has evolved far beyond its original usage, and now represents the underlying knowing that we are connected creators, capable beyond earthly comprehension. Losing this knowing is akin to losing yourself.
Which is why I’m here to remind you that you haven’t lost it.
The fact is, that on a very regular basis we exercise faith in its most extreme forms. We consume food and drink, trusting that their sources are communicated truthfully, and their contents pure. We travel on streets, rails, and tracks, trusting that all involved will cooperate intelligently to ensure the safety of the whole. Sometimes we even fly in giant steel tubes suspended in the sky, trusting that the pilot is skilled, and the machinery without flaw.
Daily, we boldly put our lives in the hands of strangers, sight unseen. But when faced with an unfamiliar human trying to make a connection, we forget our faith in others and shut down. Or when presented with a new opportunity, we forget our faith in ourselves and run away. We risk our lives while simultaneously forgetting to live them. But that doesn’t have to be our default. Bravery is in our bones; love, in our blood. In fact, most of us have already put our lives in the hands of several faceless others today, and as a result we are not only unharmed, but a step further on our journey-- a step we wouldn’t have taken had we not kept the faith that’s so inherently and unwaveringly ours to claim.
Turns out, we haven’t forgotten after all. If you ever question your faith, you needn’t look further than your daily acts for a prompt reminder. And that’s all it takes: an in-the-moment reminder to yourself of the faith you already have, and the doors to your life experience are blown wide open.
It takes next to nothing—a news story, a phone call, a happenstance event —and in a moment of resolution we stay on track. Learning to stand but still sometimes unsteady, we sensitive souls won’t succumb to the weight we perceive. We remain open in our conversations for the rest of the day, we give as much of ourselves as possible to the task at hand, and we both consciously and unconsciously cultivate connection. We may not speak the words, but the sentiment shows: we feel we’ve found our faith in humanity.
