Faith and patience
faith signifies trust, assurance and dharm. The Brihadaranyak Upanishad aptly mentions that the resting ground of faith is the heart. In the Bible, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Islam suggests faith signifies Iman, implying a believer's confidence in the articles of faith in the religion and its truth.
Every religion, thus, rests on faith. Lactantius, adviser to the Roman emperor Constantine 1, suggests that religere, the origin of the word 'religion', means bind, implying we are tied to Him by a bond of piety. Faith is, indeed, the bond that binds us to our Maker.
Patience is a critical element of every faith because if our faith is strong, so will our patience be. Alas! We are humans; every man of religion has instances when his faith is shaken, and his patience runs thin. Things we hoped for do not happen. There is a sense of hopelessness. There is self-doubt — why is God doing this to me?
We expect that God's plans must be aligned with ours. Does this mean a lack of faith? Is self-doubt a necessary path towards reflection and ultimate self-realisation, helping us to emerge stronger in our faith? When we realise that our trust in the Supreme is never misplaced, we surrender unequivocally to the will of the Divine. Faith, as they say, can shake mountains; therefore, the vicissitudes of life could hardly trouble us.
