Stronger Than Trust: Igniting the Faith Within Us

By Channing Lee

Do you believe that the future is bleak? Are you disillusioned with your faith tradition or religion in general? Are you strong in faith but in need of some encouragement? You've come to the right place.

Stronger Than Trust:

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Apr 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637301272

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

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In August of 2020, a friend and I decided it was a great idea to hike up Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in New England.

At 6,288 feet, this New Hampshire mountain has been labeled one of America’s most dangerous hikes, among other superlatives.[1] Thankfully it was summer, which saved us from freezing snowstorms and howling winds. But the first two and a half miles of steep incline and the latter two miles of literal rock climbing did not exactly present the smoothest hike.

Although we knew the hike wouldn’t be easy, my partner and I did not fully fathom just how difficult the trek really was until we began. About a half-mile into the trek, I felt weak. I didn’t know if my legs could physically carry me any further, or if they would give in after passing another steep incline.

For the five months prior to the hike, I had been quarantining with my family at home in order to avoid contracting and spreading the coronavirus as a pandemic raged throughout the world. To prepare for this journey, I earnestly tried to exercise each day, but work often thwarted my efforts. I had hiked difficult trails before, but never after a five-month period of thumping up and down my stairs at home as my main form of exercise.

Nonetheless, I held on to my determination.

For five hours, we persevered, longing to witness the breathtaking, six-thousand-foot view of New Hampshire. Our fantasy of reaching the top of a seemingly endless mountain blinded us to the reality that laid ahead. We encountered rocks and boulders of all different sizes, waterfalls and tiny brooks, beautiful groves of trees, and many people passing by wishing us good luck. Periodic stops to snack on granola bars and rehydrate helped, but my body felt as though it might collapse. Little did I know that the most important form of nourishment I needed in my backpack was one I had already possessed: faith.

When most people hear faith, they often think about religious views and an omnipotent, divine figure. A quick Google search will provide pages and pages of religious rhetoric, mostly dominated by Christian literature. The point here, however, is not to dispute the existence of religious connotations of faithful ideals. A devout Roman Catholic myself, I identify strongly with my religious faith—I love my God.

Yet while this conventional interpretation of faith enriches the lives of so many around the world, there also exists another more basic, broader, and universal truth in this ideal: the complete trust in someone or something, even when there may not yet be proof that such confidence is worth your while.

Therefore, when we look at the true definition of faith, we see that it encompasses many things beyond religion. It can be strength, love, and hope. Or, a belief in something—a god, a collective body, a happenstance, another person, even yourself. Faith is the mindset that calms in times of stress and celebrates in times of joy—a knowing that it will all be alright.

Unfortunately, in this modern age, the word faith seems to exude an outdated aura that to many, especially young people, seems conservative and anti-progressive. Even worse, some mistakenly misconstrue faith to be a negative force in society that seeks to strip people of their individual agency.

Because people often view faith as an exclusively religious term, they seem to only understand it in such a way. The media often paint Christians as an imposing group that does nothing but oppose women’s reproductive rights and perpetuate patriarchy. Indeed, some interpretations of the Bible may emphasize gender norms, and some in Washington fight against the expansion of rights for traditionally marginalized groups. Especially since young people often long to be liberated, they see institutionalized religion as another form of restraint that tries to tell them what to do and what not to do.

Over time, the generalized, political, and wrongful portrayal of Muslims as terrorists, Christians as child molesters, Jews as the ultimate scapegoat, and even atheists as cynics has eliminated any meaning of faith that may do good, shattering the true innocence of this conviction.

But the truth is, faith is inclusive. We have more in common than it may seem.

Deep down inside, all of us have a version of faith onto which we cling at any moment in time; it is only our choice whether or not to accept it into our lives. As human nature directs, we all place our trust in something, but only by fully embracing that trust can we overcome the challenges that lay ahead—even when we cannot foresee the results.

Embracing faith will lead you to optimism and community, two elements deteriorating with our increasingly isolated lives, thanks in many respects to the digital age. Developing your faith won’t be easy, nor will it be instantaneous. Many of us expect our daily commands to materialize immediately—most web searches take less than a second—and we are unwilling to place trust or confidence in someone or something whose yield we may not see immediately or even in a short amount of time.

Yet that is where faith challenges us to embrace something out of our comfort zones. We must allow ourselves to be open about what this conviction really means in order to find a place for it in our lives.

As I climbed Mount Washington on that sunny August afternoon, my friend consistently cheered me on, saying we were almost there and that we would be there soon. Those who passed us on their way down the mountain assured us that we could do it. I prayed to God that we would be safe, but I also had faith in myself, even when I did not know when—or if—I would reach the top. While I doubted my body’s physical strength, I never once doubted my mind’s.

Indeed, my mind prevailed. When we finally reached the summit at around 5:30 in the evening, the clear sky welcomed me with open arms, beckoning me to enjoy the incredible view that lay below us. My racing heart cried out in joy above the sea of green and blue in front of me. My sweat even concealed the cold!

Without faith in God, my friend, my safety, the weather around us, and myself, I would never have been able to boast that I hiked to one of the highest points on the East Coast. Now, I can do so with pride, knowing it was my faith—my trust during such a challenging journey—that helped me achieve my goal.

There are many reasons why you might find this book to be useful along your own journey. Perhaps you are disillusioned with family traditions, religion in general, and a bleak future, or maybe you just need encouragement about your own faith tradition. To those ends, I promise you will not be disappointed.

The journey through these chapters will tell the stories of people from all walks of life—different racial backgrounds, a wide spectrum of religious and political affiliations, and more. Many are younger, Gen-Zers like myself, but faith is a timeless blessing that transcends age and experience. Together we will explore how faith plays a role in our personal lives, social advocacy, business, public service, and the like. Although some names have been changed, these are real stories of real people, many of whom are just like you and me, whose faith helped them overcome obstacles and embrace more fulfilling lives.

Along the way, you might identify your own mountain, whose summit may seem impossible to reach at first glance—until you climb it. I hope you enjoy the journey.

CHAPTER 1

EXPLORING TODAY’S PERCEPTION OF FAITH

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When I arrived in Washington, DC, to begin my undergraduate studies, I encountered a religiously and thoughtfully diverse population, including many who identify as atheist or agnostic. Coming from an all-girls Catholic school myself, I proudly shared the faithful part of my identity with my peers. Yet a couple of my new friends furrowed their eyebrows at me and assumed, Oh, you’re religious? And a Christian? You must hate gays.

I was sincerely taken aback.

I must hate gays? More broadly, I must hate?

I didn’t understand how anyone could make such awful judgments, since that was far from the truth.

My God is a loving God, and no form of hatred is present in my religious faith. As someone quite immersed in political discord and social advocacy, I felt confused as to why my Catholic faith automatically evoked hateful, conservative, exclusive, and outdated thoughts.

Perhaps, I reasoned, I could explore all the possibilities of what faith can be—something that may not even encompass religion. Nearly a year of interviews and research later, I can confidently say I am correct: faith can come in all shapes and forms, and it is anything but exclusive.

What Is the State of Faith in the World Today?

It is no surprise that, when most people think about faith, they think about religion. Any mention of faith might trigger in your head images of God, churches, mosques, temples, and the like. However, the state of faith in the modern world extends beyond these surface-level elements. Viewing oneself as someone with faith in nothing, or with limited faith in anything, correlates with some very frightening and even dangerous circumstances. Unfortunately, there is a blatant correlation between increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and declining religious participation.

A meta-analysis published in 2010 by faculty of universities across the United States showed a large generational increase in mental health issues between 1938 and 2007.[2] More recently, a May, 2020 Gallup Poll revealed that the percentage of US adults who evaluate their lives well enough to be considered thriving has dropped to 46.4 percent, matching the low point measured in November 2008 during the Great Recession.[3] Text messages to a federal disaster distress hotline increased more than 1000 percent in April, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Forbes.[4]

Young people have been hit especially hard by mental health issues. Seventy percent of teenagers say anxiety and depression are a major problem according to the Pew Research Center in 2019.[5] Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, between 1999 and 2018, the national suicide rate increased by 35 percent.[6] From 2007 to 2017, the suicide rate among people ages ten to twenty-four increased 56 percent.[7]

Further changes to our modern lifestyles over the last few decades have exacerbated the roots of these mental health problems. The surge of technology and social media presence in our lives has caused many to feel lonelier and less than—as if one cannot measure up to societal standards. Every day, we witness others rush ahead of us in work, school, and everything else in life and wonder, Am I enough? A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that people who reported spending more than two hours each day on social media were two times more likely to experience social isolation than those who said they spent half an hour or less on the same sites. Furthermore, the study concluded that people who visited social media platforms most frequently (fifty-eight times or more) every week had more than three times the odds of perceived social isolation than those who visited fewer than nine times per week.[8]

Our politics are also more polarized than ever, and there has been a profound distortion of what the truth really means. Social unrest, extreme viewpoints, and violent actions have pushed us to evaluate: What do I really believe? After the 2020 US elections, 81 percent of Americans cited the future of their nation as a source of stress, up from 66 percent after the 2016 elections.[9] As more and more people feel helpless against the actions of their governments—sentiments exacerbated by the proliferation of social media usage—it is not surprising that divisive politics has led to many people losing faith.

Throughout history, people have turned to religion in times of trouble, but that has also changed today. While the number of people experiencing mental health issues continues to soar, those the Pew Research Center lists as religiously unaffiliated are projected to increase by more than 100 million between 2010 and 2050.[10] Young adults around the world already identify less with religious traditions; in 41 of 106 surveyed countries, younger adults were less likely than older adults to identify with any form of religion.[11]

Many may see these statistics and feel there is no hope of reversing these mental health trends, or decline in religious affiliation, but that is exactly where faith must help us—and help us recognize that there is hope.

How Do These Statistics Translate to Real Life?

The long list of numbers and figures may seem daunting to many and far away to others. After all, at the end of the day, faith is a very personal experience. However, a quick temperature check with those around us reveals that these mental health concerns, particularly relating to a decline in societal happiness, are very real.

I proposed the simple question to my best friend during a short walk one summer afternoon: What causes you to lose faith?

Izzy chuckled, then proceeded to go on a tirade about all the ills of the world.

My faith is tested daily because of the world we live in, she began. I lose faith whenever I hear of the police abusing their power, or a judge letting a rapist out early from their already short sentence. I lose faith whenever I see people living in ignorance, judging others for the way that they spend their money on extravagant trips and materialistic items when they, themselves, do the same. Or when they fail to recognize how privileged they are when they are provided food on the table every night, because some kids aren’t that lucky. I lose faith just about every time I turn on the news, seeing nothing but negativity.

Yet she wasn’t all pessimistic.

Although there is a lot of bad stuff that goes on in the world, there is still so much good, she said. Why can’t we focus more on that? I regain faith in the world every time I remind myself of how much love and goodness there really is.

Izzy’s attitude is exactly the goal we are trying to reach: recognizing the many misfortunes of the world yet not allowing us to feel discouraged about ourselves and the world.

What Does Faith Even Mean?

Faith is broader than what our intuitions dictate, and it often appeals to different people, on various levels of subjectivity. In my view, faith is the act of placing your complete trust in something without knowing what will happen next. When you say you have faith, you assent to the idea that there is an unknown, what many Christians actually call the mystery of faith, because sometimes there is no concrete evidence in your everyday life that logically leads you to hold such beliefs.

For reasons we will explore throughout this book, people take that cliché leap of faith and dare to say their faith will lead to benevolent outcomes. When adhering to this sort of ideal, you admit that there is a chance you may be wrong but hold strong convictions just the same because you believe things will turn out better.

Therefore, faith is, in fact, a mindset. If employed successfully, you will not only live a more comfortable life, but you will also be able to share such a mindset with others. As the following chapters will reveal, you can place your faith in so many things: God, yourself, humanity, and even progress.

Having faith in yourself means you will maintain confidence