Crisis of Faith

Raised as a Jewish atheist, it was initially as difficult for me to trust believers as it is for believers to trust there are atheists of good faith. But it eventually dawned on me that no one can avoid a faith commitment. That atheists and believers alike are subject to blind, bad and good faith. That faith involves a choice: the freedom and responsibility to put what we believe to the test of our own evolving experience. That even the decision to sit on the fence of indecision is just another decision with real consequences.

If you’re struggling with a crisis of faith, I may be of help to you without imposing an atheistic or religious ideology on you in the process of your search. As I see it, a good faith orientation of life transcends the felt need to fit into one group or the other. The search for a reliable faith is a search for a reliable hope. Discovering that there is such a hope is like coming to know someone who is worthy of your trust, and ultimately your love. As you become more deeply acquainted, a foundation is built that allows you to feel safe even when you feel most vulnerable.

In this way, then, I believe good faith is compassionate love for one’s self as well as others.  I encourage you to put compassionate love to the test of your own experience. As you entrust yourself to the mere possibility of such a love, even in the moments when you are most tempted to doubt it, your faith will be confirmed. You will experience for yourself that there is a way out of your confusion and darkness into the full light of day.