By Klaus Döring
A friend of mine started talking with me and mentioned the good old days. Yes, those were the days my friend! Well, we all know: times have changed. More natural disasters, more wars, more people all over the world who are losing their faith.
Faith, like love, is an element that bonds together relationships. And we lose faith like we lose love — for many reasons. Loss comes from misunderstandings, personality conflicts, tragic circumstances, ill treatment and our own ignorance, to name a few.
Some may lose faith because they disagree with religious teachings on current issues, or because the doctrine lacks strong evidence, doesn’t make sense to them anymore, or because it simply does not add up. Others may become disillusioned following personal trauma; unanswered prayers; the existence of natural disasters, diseases and evil; the conflicts caused by religions; or the questionable morality of religious leaders and religious people.
Others say they dislike organized religion and want to make their own decisions rather than listen to somebody else. Still, others become distracted by materialism, or find that they’re too busy to participate.
People who walk away from religion usually say, “I shall be just fine. Please do not worry about me.”
To be or not to be. Sein oder nicht sein. Shakespeare. To say it clearly: without faith, we’re really nothing.
Faith is belief; belief in us, in our works, talents and our personalities. We should also believe in our parents – or much better, in our whole family including the black sheep, which can be found everywhere. We should believe in our friends, even though it seems to become very difficult many times.
Please remember, my dear readers: without faith, we will reach rock bottom. Don’t say, it’s a likely story.
The German poet Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1815) has mentioned in his drama “Maria Stuart”: “Even the word might be dead, but faith keeps it alive!” Chapter I of Second Thessalonians gives encouragement to all Christians, who were undergoing persecution for or because of their faith. Yes, faith is really not everybody’s thing, or “not everyone has faith”.
“If I have faith, that can move mountains” (First Corinthians 13,2).
Faith is tantamount to convincing and conviction. Richard Wagner (German classical composer and poet, 1813-1883) found the following lyric: “Blessed are those people, who know how to live their life in humility and faith.”
So, let’s even continue believing in our governments or the institution of the church. Faith means also a belief, especially in a revealed religion. Faith is trust or reliance. Faith is indeed a pledged word. Yes, I know.
Faithful love is loyal, reliable, exact and honorable love. Faithful love means even to love your enemy. Allow me to close this column with a Chinese proverb: “People without faith in themselves cannot or will never survive!” – Worth to think about it!
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