We are not in the business of bursting bubbles. And we should not accept such a mantle. In these times, it is the highest feat of the imagination to be able to preserve your own faith. These are not people to be torn down, but people to be admired.
When, and less cynically, if, fall they must, let it be at someone else' hand. Bursting bubbles is the easiest thing in the world. But have you ever tried to preserve one? It takes the meticulousness of a surgeon. And then you get to walk away knowing you just bent time. You extended a moment by the sheer force of your goodwill.
That's at least a week's worth of that good feeling, right there.
8 comments:
Wow. That really is a thought. Save bubbles! No, I'm serious and I agree. And the Harvey Dent-Batman reference. :)
YEAH! This should be mandatory reading. You give me such hope! Get off my bubble certain-elements-of-the-world. Or better yet, help me keep it intact!
Liked the analogy! But I can't help thinking of a counter argument - what about those who live their whole lives in a bubble? Faith is very often a means to an end - an existence built on following rules/values/customs, good and not-so-good, which is fine. But doesn't the bubble keep people insulated from the responsibility of atheistic freedom? Of course, the relevance and authenticity of such things continue to diminish in our world, making our opinions on them the only substantial aspect of our lives. But if people are able to objectively evaluate their faith and develop a set of core beliefs close to their heart, then that is something which really deserves preserving..
Sandip,
We're human beings, very little about us is objective. Least of all, faith. As objective and practical as we think we're being, all our decisions stem from our particular, unique human condition.
Preserving your faith is the ability to believe in something when there's lots of reasons not to, but then isn't that the definition of strong faith?
And if we're to look at it as a self-preservation mechanism, isn't it one of the better, more hearty ones to have? Than say apathy, or cynicism?
If you genuinely believed that no good could come of the world around you, you'd be paralysed. It is your ability - consciously, subconsciously, unconsciously - to believe that something good can come of it all, that there's a reason you're waking up to go to work every day that makes you surge forward.
Yes I will not stand by in a romantic daze if my friend suddenly develops faith that she can jump off a building and fly. There's a line between faith and delusion, I suppose everyone decides where that line is. I couldn't possibly stipulate that line for anyone.
Sorry, I didn't intend to prattle on for this long :)
Hi,
You make an interesting point..we usually never consider faith to be a part of who we are - its often perceived as this external influence which arbitrarily governs our life and way of thinking. I was referring to the condition where one doesn't strongly believe in anything - his whole existence is mired in the present: the most pressing chores, the coolest band, the acclaimed novel, the fashionable dress et al. In other words, the responsibility of having a faith and keeping it is dodged, and its absence is celebrated with a kind of individualistic pride. The one (and possibly only ? ) good outcome of such a mind would be the scrutinizing filter for all the bullshit in our world. Maybe I've drifted off the topic, but it seems as though being faithful (and not just in its typical sense :)) is diminishing in value in our world.
The previous comment was mine.
Your post describes exactly what's wrong with the whole business of faith - people either want to burst it or preserve it as it is.
While the only way any belief system can survive the passage of time without becoming irrelevant is if it is "expanded" or evolved. And almost always, people treat the two concepts as mutually exclusive - faith & change/evolution.
Faith can evolve & only when it evolves will it stay beautiful & only then will it's preservation have any meaning.
We need to start entering the business of expanding bubbles!
I agree with you. To the earlier comment i'd like to say that faith doesn't have to be religious or ideological, right?
It can be the simple faith of a child believing in Santa Claus.
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