Having an Unreasonable Faith!

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, from global troubles to personal challenges. Mother Nature’s had her way abroad with the devastating earthquakes in Japan, and right here in our own backyard where tornadoes have claimed the lives of 339 people in ravaged southern states. And as a country we’re still dealing with the ongoing recession and its rippling effects, including high rates of unemployment and a myriad of other financial burdens. On a more personal front, individuals are dealing with illness, broken families, broken dreams, loneliness, and a general sense of despair that can be subconsciously compounded exponentially in ways we may not realize, but are still affected by.

While writing this post I just learned, along with the rest of the world that Osama Bin Laden has been killed. Many are celebrating, but celebration doesn’t come to mind for me. I sense times may get even more tense. I don’t know what exactly happened or what to believe about how Bin Laden was captured, but I do know this has a wide-ranging consequence. And all of this has led me to a necessary decision.

It’s time to be unreasonable. I’m talking about the idea of unreasonable faith; the kind of faith that makes you think to yourself, Am I crazy or naïve to think things will work out? Am I really tripping to BELIEVE that despite any tangible evidence, I will experience the materialization of my needs, my hopes, my dreams and my prayers? I was having a digital conversation with one of my Twitter buddies (@MyPolarO—follow her if you want to laugh, think, and then laugh some more!) about not losing faith (in dating, eeesh!) And I tweeted her, “Yes, it’s faith plus works, and sometimes faith just works.” And in the spirit of that, I have been in the process of adopting an unreasonable faith.

There are times when we must take action in our lives but there are also times, as AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent tweeted that we can sit back and, “Enjoy the show because really, GOD is in control!” (And for the purposes of my post God/The Universe/A Higher Power/The Source are all interchangeable.) And after the work is done, (or maybe if you haven’t done anything because you just don’t know where to start), let’s have unreasonable faith; an irrational trust that it can all fall into place.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve endured some taxing experiences. I’ve had those moments where in the midst of it all I wondered, how am I even (with)standing? How do I even have half my mind right now? I think I was unknowingly tapping into a brand new level of my faith that transcended anything concrete or that was supposed to make sense. My subliminally divine trust kicked into overdrive without me having to call upon it, giving me a calm of which I could not articulate or pinpoint the origin. This feeling of invisible assurance that this situation is temporary or this will be okay probably made me look and feel delusional; until I finally understood what unreasonable faith really is. It’s what happens when crazy circumstances leave you with no other choice but to invoke a crazy faith.

And after I became conscious of my unsubstantiated conviction, I maintained it with the help of friends, strangers, and resources, (including Cory Booker tweets!), that seemed to appear out of nowhere, coupled with spiritual focus and the decision to consistently avoid negative, discouraging forces. Life isn’t perfect, and I still feel highly discouraged at times, but overall I feel less burdened, less alone and more sure-footed on my journey. At times my path is lit, but at others I feel like MJ in the “Billie Jean” video where my steps only light up after my foot hits the ground. But thankfully I, like many laden by uncertainty, continue to put one foot in front of the other.

Folks, it’s time to be unreasonable. It’s time to be delusional and naïve about faith. It’s time to believe, unwaveringly without any proof that your needs, hopes, happiness and dreams will manifest. Having unreasonable faith is not about denying reality, but accepting it and then surpassing it, knowing that it’s all being worked out.

So whether you have work to do or you’re in a place where you can sit back and watch The Universe put all the pieces together, both situations may require an unreasonable faith.

Are you willing to be unreasonable?

photo courtesy of shane creech