Exploring Faith and Why It Matters

A younger version of me used to scoff at the idea of having faith. However now I proudly say I have a faith in God.

Now to be clear, this is not faith in any organised religion (I have views on those, but this might not be the time for that!) No, my faith is in a God that is inherent in nature and at the same time also represents some kind of higher force or consciousness. I also believe God is present in all of us in the way we have the power to create our reality in any moment. Again maybe not the time to go into full depth here - I would certainly recommend the Conversations with God series of books if you want to explore this more.

So how did this sceptic get turned around? It has been tied up in my journey back to self and there was no single moment where my faith felt real - connecting to nature, dreams, creative practice, meditation, breathwork, plant medicine and more have all played their part. In some of this work (especially sitting with plant medicines and time deeply in nature) I have really felt I was connecting with a higher power and, whatever doubts I might have (and I do have doubts), it is hard to put these experiences back in a box once they happen to you!

It is important for me to say at this point that I totally ackowledge that I might be completely wrong. I can absolutely see a world where my brain has taken the opportunity during some of these peak or altered experiences to bring up things to justify myself and my journey. And frankly I think this doubt is healthy - where faith turns rigid and dogmatic is a place of real danger and harm in my eyes (See: The Dark Side of Organised Religion!) So while I really believe in my faith I always acknowledge the nature of faith means we can never really ‘prove’ it either way. Regardless, having a faith gives me hope and purpose and has clearly made me a kinder, more loving person, and so whatever else shakes out, that is more than good enough for me.

So finally, why do I want to share this now? Well firstly, precisely because it feels edgy, I want to be someone who speaks their truth and yet is always open to challenge and conversation (please do hmu in the comments whether you agree or disagree!!) But also because we are living in a more and more divided and difficult world. I don’t want to diminish that - there is a lot of darkness all over the world and my heart goes out to those places. But my faith shows me that there might be a better path out there for humanity, a consciousness that is more advanced and capable than what we have now and so while I have that faith it makes all the more determined to do the things I can do to bring more love and light into the world. Yes my massage work is a part of that but so is sharing my truth in a forum like this, so is picking up some litter or helping someone in need, so is offering a smile on the tube or telling a stranger you like something they are wearing. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be engaged in the big things that are moving but also that we can each of us can start by looking after our own energy. I feel the path to a better world starts with the small and local changes we can each make in our lives and that if enough of us move our energy in this way, then maybe one day love and togetherness will triumph over fear and division.