Faith

Over the past couple decades, I think I’ve done a pretty damn fine job of proving that I can get by on a squeench* less than no sleep a night. It’s not pretty, it’s not healthy, and it’s certainly not fun, but, as my grandson, the ultra-cool Jak, says, “That’s how I roll.”

Apparently, my brain was so bored by my miserable excuse for sleep the other night, and began slamming me with thinky thoughts (thinkus maximus trivialum). Now, I’m no stranger to the thinky thought, but they do seem to pop up as what you might call inconvenient times.

As parts of me were pretending to sleep, the phrase, “sometimes, I think the word ‘faith’ catches a lot of undeserved heat,” began bouncing around between my remaining 15, badly rusted synapses.

The day before, at the store (yes, I was buying beer) I overheard a woman tell her companion something about how these, “damn people of faith,” bothered her. Apparently, that little nugget needed some time to ferment in my brain, before it surfaced in my thoughts.

So, there I was, staggering in the general direction of the coffee pot, in a seasonably cold, dark house, at no o’clock in the morning. No sooner had the coffee machine began its musical gurgle of salvation, than the “damn people of faith” comment began picking up momentum. I’m enough of an intellectual tactician to know it’s best to size up your adversary, exploring its strengths and weaknesses, rather than charge headlong into the fray, not unlike a stampede of fear-crazed mud turtles.

OK. Faith. What is it?







I spent a few, very, very pleasant seconds picturing Faith Hill, but decided to save that subject for a later date.








I whupped out Wikipedia and learned that, “Faith is trust, hope and belief in the goodness, trustworthiness or reliability of a person, concept or entity. It can also refer to beliefs that are not based on proof.”

The word faith, in the world of sports, is both widely and accurately used.


Green Bay Packer fans are called “Packer Backers,” just as Oregon Duck fans are called “Quacker Backers.” Both groups have a degree of faith in their respective teams. The Staples Center in Los Angles, home to the LA Lakers, is the gathering place for the Laker Faithful.


Were it not for the faithfulness of some fans, dismal teams everywhere would play in empty, silent arenas.

Faith, and faithfulness, play deal making/breaking roles in relationships, too. The whole “I’m depending on you,” thing figures pretty prominently in the world of romance, from Kindergarten on.

Locally, it’s pretty apparent that a lot of business is transacted on good faith and the ability to trust. Apparently successful business and successful relationships share this critical, common building block.

The world of politics offers the opportunity for faith—in a person, a plan or a party, but it seems to me our elected fools seek only to advance their agenda, in large part by degrading their opposition. It is interesting to note that their agenda really never actually moves forward. Any movement, or the perception of distance between the opposing sides, is created by shredding the other party, all while calling for useful compromise and unilateral agreement.

The opportunity for faith and trust is there, but, well, can you see any?

One of my heroes, JerryJeff Walker ** sings,

We trust the moon to move the mighty ocean,
We trust the sun to shine upon the land,
We take the little that we know and do the best we can
And see the rest, with the quiet faith of man.

Apparently, even JerryJeff sees the need to voice his faith between the lines.

All in all, faith looks like a pretty positive and affirming thing.

By the time I’d slurped down the second cup of coffee, it dawned on me that I knew who those “damn people of faith” the woman was referring to.

I’m thinking it’s interesting to realize that it’s okay to voice your rock-solid, unwavering faith in a losing sports program, a troubled friend or an unpredictable future, but, when you give voice to the faith of your heart, folks can get more than just a little uncomfortable.

“Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. “
Khalil Gibran

squeench* a small or insignificant portion—one of my Dad’s favorite words.

JerryJeff**it pains me to tell you his real name is Ronald Clyde Crosby