Though I have always been a positive and hopeful person,
there was a sort of block when it came to faith. I wanted evidence before I
could trust. I believed that science and faith were at odds with each other,
and that faith required a suspension of reason. I wanted to believe some of the
things I was reading and hearing about the nature of the universe and the
metaphysical, but I was skeptical and sometimes even cynical.
I now see that they are actually intertwined, and there have
been a number of scientific studies that have proven the power of faith such as
those that confirmed the healing power of prayer. Quantum physics is gaining
traction as an explanation of how our thoughts affect our physical surroundings
and circumstances. And while his experiments have been criticized as
unscientific, Masaru Emoto, demonstrated that human consciousness has an effect
on the molecular structure of water.
His experiments involved exposing water samples to concentrated
thoughts of either a positive or a negative nature. Thoughts such as “you make
me sick,” “I hate you,” etc. were juxtaposed with loving and positive thoughts.
Water frozen and examined under a microscope showed incomplete, malformed and
distorted crystals from the negative thoughts and beautiful, symmetrical,
colorful patterns from the positive ones.
In March, I participated in a program for young adult cancer
survivors in Hawaii. This surf camp asked us to choose a camp name that
represented our power, and I chose Kale‘le’, which means “to have faith” in
Hawaiian. I chose this, not because I already had an abundance of faith, but
because I was seeking to foster more of it in my life. For a few months now, I
have awoken to a sign above my bed that reads, “I trust that I will be taken
care of.” And I really do.
In the past, I worried a great deal. I didn’t necessarily
express my worries to others, but internally, I was always focused on what was
“wrong,” and on the problems in my life. Now, I choose to focus on the
positives instead. It’s a subtle shift with profound implications. The circumstances
of my life haven’t changed dramatically, but my inner state about them has. I
am much calmer, more peaceful, grateful, and loving in my thoughts.
I have often viewed religion as a sort of crutch, giving the
faithful a certainty that was comforting, no doubt, but provided little basis
in reality. Sure, it was helpful in getting through day-to-day life, but wasn’t
it also folly of a sort to believe in something for which there was no
evidence? Now I see that there is no downside to faith. If we believe in something
bigger than ourselves and are wrong, we’ve lost nothing, but if that belief
gives us comfort in life, we’ve gained a great deal.
