Faith or non-faith - is that the question?

We are all people of faith

Faith or non-faith - is that the question?

Spiritual formation is usually equated with religion. Consequently, faith is associated with individuals who feel at home in a religious tradition. Non-faith is associated with individuals who do not. Is faith or non-faith the question? My explorations revealed that faith is an intrinsic quality within the human spirit. Faith is a creative drive that impels each one of us to give meaning to our existence and mortality. Meaning is found in a set of beliefs crafted into a sacred narrative that situates our identity within a larger Story of Life. This larger narrative is tethered by our knowledge and beliefs about the nature of Reality and how the world was formed. We can see this innate creative drive of faith in the First Nation peoples of Australia, whose set of beliefs crafted into a sacred narrative named The Dreaming gives meaning to their existence and mortality. In short, faith is not a destination point; it is a creative drive that impels each of us toward a belief system that resonates with our heart and mind and from which we derive meaning and purpose. Faith is a quality we all share, regardless of our belief system. We are all people of faith.  

What drives faith?

We are impelled to give meaning by our innate longing to belong. Belonging refers to a deep sense of connection between the three interrelated dimensions of human consciousness: the intrapersonal (within our skin), the interpersonal (within community), and the transpersonal (with the deeper rhythms of Life itself). Our longing to belong does not exist in a vacuum. There is an enduring Call of belonging within the deeper rhythms of Life, to which our longing to belong responds. As a result, faith is driven by the interplay between our human longing to belong and the Call of belonging within the very nature of Life itself.