Faith and Power

When someone described me as an optimist, my initial reaction was disbelief. With so many terrible things happening in the world, how could anyone possibly feel optimistic?! Surely this term implies that you have no knowledge of current affairs, human nature or simply do not care enough. Even an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand for most of the time would, whenever it came up for air, discover plenty to prevent it from feeling optimistic.

It could be argued that those who regularly follow the news from every available perspective and make appropriate judgements about how the world should be run are realists if not necessarily very happy. However, although it can feel very empowering to have an opinion, feeling is not quite the same thing as being.

Instead, it would be more accurate to observe that, through the media, we are regularly presented with lives quite unrelated to our own and situations well outside our control. Whenever we identify and accept our lack of power, it becomes easier to see genuine opportunities and make a constructive difference.

Recognising our lack of power also provides an incentive to seek reinforcement. Some of our readers may do this through reference to a higher power and by prayer. Self- scrutiny can also be a source of strength. Whether or not we are successful, it is very empowering to know that we are just trying to do the right thing.

At times, people ask me if you have to have faith to be involved in the Reading Interfaith Group. I have to be realistic about the way in which names associated with a religion can be used to mask other motives. To me, faith without honesty is either very misinformed or just wrong.

A sincere understanding of what it is really like to be human, our faults and our lack of power can give us an inclusive opportunity for faith through humility. We can have faith in our sources of inspiration from many different traditions; faith in our honest motivation; and faith in the worth, insights, strengths and possibilities of others.    

S.G