Opinion

Give faith a chance; you won't be sorry

Jermika Bradberry
Guest Columnist

Hollywood would have us believe that fate is the reason the world goes around, and that faith is just an illusion. But why do people listen to Hollywood? Why don't more people give faith a try?

It's because having faith is hard work. Fate is significantly more tangible than faith. Faith requires believing in something for no other motive than your trust in a power higher than your own.

Many people don't realize, though, that we invest faith in several of our day-to-day transactions. Almost all our dealings involve trust-based promises of all kinds. Whether they are monetary, verbal or contractual, all promises are founded on the same principle of faith. 

Sharing wedding vows, writing a check at a local department store or driving through a green light without bothering to look left or right are all actions that require faith in something or someone other than one's self. Hope is wanting things to work out as planned, but faith is having the confidence that they will.

Ignoring faith makes it easier for us to just chalk up certain life experiences to being a part of our destiny or some pre-determined master plan. What and whose master plan is another topic altogether ? this is not a column about religion. In any case, for those of us who are acquainted with the notion of faith, we understand that it is not for the faint of heart.

Exercising faith entails strength of mind and character because having faith, like being pregnant, is an all-or-nothing deal. You canit half-heartedly be a faithful person. Anything less than a 100 percent effort is a waste of energy. Thereis no point in deciding to put to rest all of your uncertainties and fears by having faith in someone if you're just going to distrust them anyway. That's called lip service.

Whether or not you choose to start approaching life's difficulties in a different way after you read this, just know that all of us will put our faith in something or someone at some point. While some may find it more of a challenge to put trust in the unknown, I've found that exercising my faith puts my mind at ease.

Without putting your faith in others, life would be overly filled with anxiety, fear and worry. And even though sometimes some of the people you put your faith in will let you down, remember that it's the person who quit on you ? not your faith.

Bradberry, a junior communication major, can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.