The “F” Word
Nik and Me on the Road
~~~
No, it’s not what you are thinking, people.
Absolutely not, the title of this blog is not about Fuck.
Is it:
Feeling Fine?
No.
Is it
Feeling Funky?
No.
The F-word behind this title stands for:
FAITH.
Why does faith seem to have a potentially negative connotation for some of us?
Years ago, I created a new 90-minute program in R&R, and I titled it, The Yoga of Faith.
I swear to you, only three people showed up.
My boss and I had a good laugh.
Then I retitled the very same workshop, The Yoga of Life.
It’s been a hit ever since.
Does Faith:
- Reek of old white men?
- Apologies to all old white men reading this.
- I’m an old white woman writing this.
- I seem to be an old white woman who is reckless in her word choice.
- Apologies. Ha.
Does Faith:
- Echo of religiosity?
- Trigger past discomfort?
- Aggravates old trauma?
Listen to this remarkable definition of faith:
True faith is provisional, flexible, undogmatic, open to doubt and reason. True faith is not like a picture frame, a permanently limited area of acceptance. It is like a plant which keeps on throwing forth shots and growing. All we require, at the beginning, is a seed.
This is from a powerful little book called How to Know God, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood.*
Isn’t it a radical definition?
Provisional?
Undogmatic?
Open to doubt and reason?
I always thought faith meant,
I got this. Locked in. Finished and done. Faith. I got it.
Nope.
It doesn’t work like that.
I remember reading in 12 Step Literature that quiet little line,
You will not always be inspired.
At that point in my journey, this was a mind-boggling concept!
I truly thought the point was, to always be inspired.
Nope.
To have tolerance for the fluidity,
The dance between
Remembering
And forgetting,
Between
Trusting and not trusting.
Between
Believing and not believing.
And with compassion,
With kindness,
Always coming back.
~~~
Faith is a practice,
For me, believing that
Inevitably and eventually
All will work out
With goodness.
And truly,
It’s hard
To live
In our world
today
And keep
Faith
Steady.
I am unsteady.
How about you?
So, I practice—
Remembering.
Seeing the beauty.
Forgetting.
Reading a headline.
Remembering.
My evidence-based data
In my world
That shows me
That Life always
Worked,
No matter
The outcome.
And then again,
Forgetting.
My 2:30 a.m. Burden
Of Uncertainties.
Simply practicing
Flowing between
The two.
~~~
Folks,
What does faith mean to you?
How are you practicing?
~~~
I heard this oh, so familiar song again somewhere—and loved it.
I always thought it was from Sound of Music—I erroneously see a nun somehow involved.
No, the song was written for the musical Carousel, by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers.
It’s sung here by Gerry and the Pacemakers, good Liverpool lads, released in 1963.
It’s become an anthem for Liverpool Football, obviously a big deal.
For me, this week, this song has been a pretty good realignment, renewal, into a sliver of faith.
~~~
Friends,
And so, we practice.
May we be present.
May we be safe.
May we ride the waves of our lives.
May we live in peace
No matter
What
We
Are
Given.
May all beings benefit
From our
Time
Together.
Blessed be,
Aruni
~~~
*Fun fact—Isherwood, a gay man and disciple of Swaim Prabhavananda, wrote The Berlin Stories, which were later adapted into the beloved musical, Cabaret. And one of life’s best movies.