Faith!
Engendering a Wholesome Life
As the weather warms and the spring flowers and grasses begin to grow, farmers and home gardeners prepare to sow seed and plant new fruits, vegetables and flowers to enjoy later in the year. Repeated annually, the significance of this ritualistic practice can escape our conscious minds.
We do not know if our garden will receive enough water and sunlight to produce abundantly. Yet, we prepare our soil with fertilizer, lime and compost as though we never doubt a successful yield. We plant our garden having faith that The Almighty will provide a wholesome environment that is most beneficial for agricultural success.
We have a verse in scripture which says, “How can you reject faith in The Almighty? — seeing that you were without life, and He gave you life”; (Qur’an 2:28). Now, these words provide us with “food for thought.”
We meet our spouse, get married and start a family. We cannot see our future — be it difficult or easy. Yet we have faith that The Almighty will provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for the total growth and development of our marriage and our children.
Life’s Challenges
As time passes, life’s challenges disturb our inner peace. Sometimes the obstacles are so great that they may seem insurmountable. These are times that we must remember that faith is the foundation of life; “For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
When we experience unpleasant circumstances which are perceived as beyond our control — faith helps us to stay the course.
As scenes of violence, injustice and human oppression play themselves out on our global stage, we have only to cling to our faith and work cooperatively toward social justice for all to fully understand the dynamic dimension of faith.
The passing of time attests to the rewards. Consider, for example, the enslavement of African people or the forced removal of Native American children from their families. In both cases through faith in The Almighty, the oppressed people were relieved of their burdens.
Similar examples, in the global arena, would include apartheid in South Africa and years of colonization of developing nations by European powers. Even today, the ugly scenes in Ukraine serve as reminders of man’s inhuman treatment of his fellow man.
In the instances cited, one group of people wants to exploit and oppress another for material gain: economic and/or political power. So, we naturally think of oppressed people requiring patient faith.
Faith can also be viewed from an alternate perspective. The concerns of oppressed people are clearly visible; but the oppressors also conceal a fear. They are afraid that power relationships may shift if the subjugated population were to rise to power and influence.
Inherent political and societal norms tend to support legislation that codifies existing power and authority. These correlations continue to exist until a critical mass is reached: one in which individuals acknowledge, within the quiet recesses of their mind, heart and spirit that faith in our Creator’s laws of justice offer the best promise toward social justice for all.
The critical mass concept mentioned here is historically evidenced, for example, in the end of legal human enslavement in America, the end of colonization in developing nations and the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Just as the farmer plants seeds having faith that The Creator can provide an environment for natural growth and development, so too, must we face our life’s challenges with Faith.
Regardless of how difficult the circumstances or our lack of ability to see a solution, The Almighty sees all and has power over everything. His omnipotence is enough to guide and protect us. Faith engenders a wholesome life.
