Seeing Faith as a Science.

It is generally accepted that Faith and Science are in opposition; star crossed lovers that never shall again meet. Science has it's scientific methods of experimentation, hypothesis, testing and accruing hard, replicable data. Faith can be seen as anything intangible, containing unimaginable seemingly unprovable things: magic, mysteries, miracles. The seen and the unseen. Gods, spirits. The opposition seems so obvious: Logical vs. illogical. Linear vs. cyclical. Seen vs. Unseen.

However, the more that I think on this, the more I see that they are not sworn enemies. There is no need for a versus; they are not exclusive of one another. Faith and science are each their own discipline with it's own set of rules and methods. In my cosmology, I try not to see things as and/or, but rather as this/and. This is frustrating for some people and, I reckon, pretty confounding. How can all things, often contradictory, work?

Take for example acupuncture. There are many schools of thought and techniques and they often do not agree with each other. What is yin in one school appears yang in another. But the frustrating truth is this: they all heal. They all get the job done. How can this be? Because there is something out there for each and every one of us. A key for our unique lock. It's why I think that there are so many healers, religions, regions, countries. There's a place for everyone. The trick is to find your home. As cliché as it is, I agree with the old saying, "home is where the heart is."

I think that the pursuit of home is where faith and science hold hands and play on swing sets together. If I can understand faith as a scientific discipline of it's own, I can experiment with it, see and record results. For example before I started on the spiritual path I'm on now, I didn't know if I even believed that there was something other than myself. But I walked in and allowed myself to be curious. I entertained a "let's see" attitude and an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised at what came to pass. I gave my self a chance to see what faith could do for me and eventually, perhaps most importantly, I for it.

It doesn't need to make sense to work and logic is just one way of thinking. The seen is no less important or valuable than the unseen.Faith is small, almost invisible. It isn't about fireworks and flair. Faith, I believe, can be cultivated, nurtured. By observing everyday things as extraordinary I've come to understand that faith isn't something detached and abstract. It's down here, tangible, fun and accessible.

Faith isn't lost or found. It's remembered.