The ABCs: F is for (Radical) Faith
It's not a leap, it's a step
In many spiritual traditions, there is a practice in which a selected scriptural passage becomes the theme for the week. At Radical Spirituality, we do the same thing, but in a radical way.
Each Sunday, I offer The ABC’s of Radical Spirituality, a single, simple word distilled from the common principles of all the world’s faith and wisdom teachings that serves as the exploration for the week. They are the roots of Radical Spirituality. And because I am that person, the words are in alphabetical order. We start with A and go to Z.
It’s a simple practice to get to the roots of what matters on our spiritual path. The best part is that you will get out of it what you put into it. If you just keep the word on a sticky-note on your computer, it will still work it’s magic. But to dig deeper, delve in, dive in, and see what you find.
F is for (Radical) Faith
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you can’t see the whole staircase” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By definition, Faith means complete trust or a belief in something or someone not based on objective proof. For many of us, it’s a difficult word, implying blind adherence to doctrine, and in our rational, materialist, modern world, it’s is almost a four-letter word.
But in Radical Spirituality, Faith – at its root - is foundational. We don’t have to believe without doubt, and we can have a healthy skepticism, but we have to start somewhere. We have to take the first step. Not a leap, just a step.
If we are on any kind of spiritual path, we have to begin with the assumption that there could be something Us-Not-Us, something sacred, Divine, or Ultimate, and it can be known or experienced. After all, that’s why we call it Spirituality, not Physics (though physics has its own form of faith. Wasn’t the Higgs boson particle called “The God Particle” before it was discovered?). We may not have a clue about what that something is or whether it even exists, but we have to assume that it’s possible. That’s the first step.
Secondly, we must have some degree of trust that what the teachers, teachings, and texts say about that something could be true and that the path they lay out for us might indeed guide us to discovering if it’s true or not. Even if we aren’t sure (and we may never be certain), the underlying assumption is that it’s possible. Step two.
Step three is the trust that, if we follow whatever path we choose to walk, it’s possible that we might experience that something. We have to trust our own experience and that if we practice, inquire, and observe, we might discover more. We trust that if we just keep going up the staircase, something may be there.
So Radical Faith is the trust in possibilities. We don’t have to know anything for sure – or believe anything without doubt – but we have to trust that what our teachers, teachings, and traditions tell us could be possible. We trust them enough to go on the journey and see what we find. After all, if you don’t believe the staircase could be real, why would you take the first step?
This week, we explore faith. What are we willing to trust?
Deeper Roots
In the Bible, the word “faith” is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word, Emunah, which comes from the root, emun, or “trust.” From the beginning, Judaism was very clear that trust in God was earned, not taken on blind faith. That’s why many of the Jewish prophets and leaders questioned and wrestled with God. “Prove it,” they demanded. And God did. Over and over.
Christianity often seems like it’s based on blind faith, but it’s not. Though Jesus constantly implores his followers to have faith in God, he also repeatedly tells them not to take his word for it but to look for themselves. Again and again, he performs miracles and then asks, “Do you trust yet?” He also reminds those he healed that it was their faith or trust in God that healed them, not himself. “See,” he says, “Trust! Have faith!”
Islam is the same. The Arabic word for faith is iman, and it means “recognition.” Throughout the teachings, followers are instructed to use their reason to recognize the truth. In Islam, Faith is confidence in the teachings as recognized through the intellect.
Buddhism says that faith is trust that the practices as taught will bear fruit. “Just do it,” Buddhists say, and you’ll see. Meditate, practice the Dharma, follow the teachings and you’ll see we are telling the truth. Find out for yourself. Daoism says simply, “Trust the Dao.”
Even atheists and secular humanists have faith. They trust “the Science,” trust “Life,” or have faith in the “market.” They believe that science or the market exists and is true, and trust that they will work as the scientists or economists tell them they will.
Interestingly, Tibetan Buddhism breaks faith or trust into four distinct categories: inspired faith, aspiring faith, confident faith, and irreversible faith. In other words, there is a progression. The more you practice and see for yourself the truth of the teachings, the stronger your faith will become.
This leads us to the subtle meaning of Faith: Faith is trust-in-action. It’s not an opinion or what we believe, but what we do because of that belief that constitutes true faith or trust. It’s a feedback loop: we trust, we do, we trust more, we come to have faith in something. There is a hadith (Muslim teaching) that says faith is “Giving recognition with the heart, saying with the tongue, and doing with the limbs.” Faith is only solidified through action.
After all, if you don’t have some faith that the staircase could exist, you won’t take the first step. The step itself is proof of faith. And if you keep going, with each step, you might find the staircase becomes more and more real. That’s when faith becomes earned trust…and the staircase may indeed lead to Heaven.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one, and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven
-Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”
Reflection Questions
What does Faith mean to you?
What do you have Faith in?
What prevents you from Faith?
How can you cultivate Faith?
Suggested Practice
Choose one thing or person you have complete faith in (It doesn’t have to be spiritual). Write down all the reasons you trust it. What do you do that supports or increases your faith in it? What else can you do? If you don’t do anything, think of one thing you can do to put your faith into action. (For example, if I trust that getting my teeth cleaned is good for me, I will go to the dentist regularly).
Faith is like a wheel, always ready to roll along the road; if you have it, you can make internal progress at any time. …The extent to which spiritual qualities can be internalized depends on faith. — Khetsun Sangpo