The Importance of Faith – A Spiritual Perspective

Leaping into the Unknown: Faith as a Spiritual Springboard*

Faith often gets relegated to the realm of religion and/or to blind belief or unquestioning obedience. However, from a broader spiritual perspective, faith transcends the confines of dogma and doctrine, blossoming into a powerful springboard for inner transformation and connection with the Divine. Through the lens of spiritual teachers Rumi, Eckhart Tolle, and Michael A. Singer, we can see faith not as a crutch, but as a vibrant leap into the unknown, a dance with mystery that opens the doors to profound understanding and joy.

Rumi, the mystical poet of 13th-century Persia, speaks of “ishq,” a love-drunken faith that transcends logic and reason. He urges us to abandon the limitations of our minds and embrace the mystery of existence with open hearts. This faith, he describes, is not a fixed belief system, but a dynamic dance with the unknown, a continual surrender to the Divine current that flows through all things. In this surrender, we shed the burden of control and trust that the universe will unfold as it should, even when shrouded in uncertainty.

Eckhart Tolle  echoes this message of surrender, but with a focus on the present moment. He reminds us that faith is not about clinging to beliefs about the future or the past, but about anchoring ourselves in the “now,” the only place where  reality resides. In this present moment, we can tap into the “beingness” that permeates everything, a silent symphony  where faith becomes a way of seeing. This surrender is not about apathy or complacency, but about a deep trust in the inherent goodness of the present moment, a faith that allows us to face challenges with equanimity and grace.

Michael A. Singer, in his book “The Untethered Soul,” adds another layer to  understanding faith. He sees faith as a way of transcending the limitations of the ego, the voice in our heads that constantly judges, fears, and controls. By letting go of the ego’s grip, we tap into a deeper wellspring of trust, a faith that whispers, “You are already whole, complete, and perfect.” This faith is not about believing in something external, but about trusting the inherent wisdom and goodness that resides within each of us. It is a faith that allows us to face our fears, release our attachments, and step into the unknown with courage and open hearts.

Faith, in its truest essence, is not a destination, but a journey. It is a continuous dance with the unknown, a willingness to embrace the mystery and trust in the unfolding of life.

This faith is not confined to any specific belief system or religious framework. It is a universal language, spoken by the mystics of all ages and traditions. It is the language of the wind whispering through the trees, the language of the stars twinkling in the night sky, the language of the human heart yearning for connection.

So, let us step into this unknown with open hearts and a leap of faith. Let us trust the whispers of our souls, the guidance of our intuition, and the divine current that flows through all things. Let us remember, as Rumi reminds us,

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

In that field, bathed in the light of faith, we can discover the true meaning of wholeness, of connection, and of belonging.

Choose LOve

Patsy/Purnima Griffiths

*Thanks to Bard (2023) and Jane Ewins for writing this blog.