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.

Death and Taxes

Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand. - Saint Thomas Acquinas

Death and taxes. Two facets of life that are unavoidable. Today is traditionally tax day where we pay our member dues to party in the exclusive Club America. A club that guarantees our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Well, today, 33 people can't file their taxes. 33 people are dead; shot at school. 33 people who, while trying to actually contribute, were cut down. 33. The age, they say, that Jesus was when he was crucified.

There are things some folks do to deal with tragedies like this: they numb, they ignore, they scoff, they sadden, they rage, they cry. They harden.

A friend posted a post in her blog this morning. A letter from god telling us how pissed she was at us; that we threw our chance away. She ended it with a divine SWAK: "fuck off and die."

This was a hard post to read. Hard, because i know she means it, every word. Hard because i know that those words emerge from a very soft and wounded space. It is so hard to stay open. Who would want to, really?

I stay open as a conscious choice. To me, to stay open is to affirm:

1. that tv is a magnifying glass. everything that happens on it seems to be ubiquitous. but i know the truth - it's not. events are talked about, hashed, rehashed, regurgitated and overanalyzed to the point of obscurity. so i know that once i read the headline, i need read no more. it is done.

2. bad things happen and this is ok. yes, even when bad things happen to me and the people i love. i'm not saying i look forward to these events, or that i take them in stride when they happen. they let me know that i love, that i feel, that i inhabit a human body with special needs, with emotional attachments and those are all ok. some people don't get that - that really, they are ok. whatever it is you're feeling or thinking is valid. i think people who fight off those feelings, who cram them down can become very dangerous in one way or another.

3. i am learning to take solace in, and believe (your mileage may vary) that there is a divine plan to my life and that these moments of tragedy and great loss are put here to educate me and affirm my faith. i can feel heartache and that heartache can be soothed knowing that there is a plan. there is a sense to this chaos. and it's not even a sense of "there has to be." i am learning to cultivate an inner knowing and respect for this process.

this world is beautiful and meant for us. i wish i could articulate my thoughts on this better, but this is a good start.

suffice to say that this world is still good, that at the end of the day, everyone, regardless of differences, wants to take off their shoes and have a warm dinner with someone they love. even if it's just the cat.