A small foundation

Traditional faith often is an attempt to understand the Big Picture. Even as we acknowledge that the human mind is a limited tool, we attempt to answer grand questions and assemble a multi-dimensional puzzle. Who or what is God? How did we get here? What is the purpose of it all? How will it all end — and, more to the point, how will I end?

The gift of the human spirit compels us to consider questions like these. We are driven to go beyond the “what?” and the “when?” and turn to pondering “why?” So, many folks arrive at a belief system from what we learned in childhood, or by study and reflection, or from an intense emotional experience. Those people have all received the gift of the Human Spirit, so it would be arrogant to decry a faith that works for them.

Yet, for many, the attempt to understand the Big Picture can be a barrier to spirituality. The choices can be confusing, and the claims conflicting. The task can seem daunting—one of those projects we know we should take on, but we put off because we don’t know where to start. The chore of finding answers can fade in importance, as we find that we can manage daily life without the answers. We may seek a divine clarity that never comes.

What’s different about the gift of personal spirituality is that we can instantly validate it by our own experience, and begin immediately to cultivate that gift. We don’t need to know the source or purpose of the gift to recognize its importance. We don’t have to plunge into theological speculation to get our feet wet. We may still be curious about “why?” but we are focused on what is. And what is is a small, but firm, foundation for belief in ourselves and our potential. It is a shared starting point as we all begin our exploration of the larger implications of faith.