The Truth of Things

I am a person of faith.  But I have close friends whom I respect who do not have faith.  They think the whole notion of God is absurd.  I hear and consider their rational questions and doubts.  But I grew up trusting there is a God at the heart of the universe that is for us and not against us. 

After being alive all these years, having read so many books, having had many restless nights, I continue to trust despite.  Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but I find I still think behind all the religions, creeds and rituals, something is going on which convinces me, God is there, real and active in our world.

But why?  Why do I persist?  Why do some of you persist?  Something convinces us we are right.  Perhaps it is plain and unadulterated fear, or the way we were brought up, our scriptures, our religious traditions, experiences we have had, a religious leader or teacher, the structure of our brains, or just plain fear of death.  I want to know why we persist?   After the Holocaust, the ambiguities and contradictions of human and non-human nature, and all the everyday unjust senseless or meaningless injuries and deaths, why keep on talking about faith? 

For those of us who are religious we are convinced there is something more.  What is that something more?  We call it God.  Is there something there or do we just imagine what we want to imagine?  You know what I’m going to say.  Whatever trust we have in God, we must be ready to face the puzzling methodology of God and wrestle with the questions and mysteries at the heart of faith.

In the end, most people, whether they admit it or not, are aware of the contradictions and problems in being religious.  Faith is trusting without knowing for sure.  People who are religious, in the best sense, are not so because they are scared, feel alone, or are determined to be ignorant.  Most are religious because they are after the truth of things.  If we are wrong, so be it.  Yes, it could be a fool’s errand.  But we are beckoned to pursue the truth of things and there is nothing else we can do.