The power of faith

One verse. One song. One thought can change one’s faith in an instant. It can change an atheist into an avid believer or a negative person into a drop of sunshine. Faith soars miles into thought and perception, globally and socially. The Dalai Lama ethically approaches achieving and spreading happiness in his book, Ethics for the New Millennium. The Dalai Lama’s verbiage on faith plays into how it can impact someone’s life and future if the world believes.

Wars continue, fights progress, hatred encompasses society, and it all revolves around the choices people make. Hate for people, objects, metaphors, happens worldwide. 

   “A revolution is called for, certainly. But not a political, economic or even a technical revolution. We have had enough experience of these during the past century to know that a purely external approach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution,” the Dalai Lama said. 

Just as a sunflower must blossom, the world must blossom spiritually as it finds religion. The plan to find one’s spirituality demonstrates a pathway to happiness, so by melding it with religion, one can carry the qualities of the human spirit alongside hope and acceptance, a newly assembled vision of humanity to change the world through faith. 

“I think a big part of faith is morals attached to it. For example, in Judaism, we believe that it is less about what you believe in and more about what you do to help the world that defines what kind of person you are. If everyone could focus on doing only good action with pure intent then the world would be a lot more selfless,” NC Jewish student Max Wender said.

Violence and corruption target the new generation. Everything people do, no matter how minuscule, contains a consequence or a result within oneself and others. Media flairs daily, adding unneeded anger and hatred filling one’s soul, while religion cleanses the spirit making one want to achieve good and noble acts of kindness.

Faith and religion give people hope and a reason to give and experience life in a more fulfilling way. 

“Religion has enormous potential to speak with authority on such vital moral questions as peace and discernment, social and political justice, the natural environment, and many other matters affecting all humanity,” the Dalai Lama said.

Religion affects people at their core enriching their values and morals making them dependent upon something greater than themselves. 

“My first steps as far as taking my faith and making it mine was a mission trip two summers ago in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. On the mission trip, we were going to rebuild a church that had burnt down during the forest fires. That summer had been a difficult summer because I was in a vulnerable area and God was working on me. That trip really just flipped the script. A lot of people say that moments don’t happen like that but for me the third day of the trip, it just hit,” NC alumni Will Aldridge said.

This dependency enables people to find, share and spread peace amongst others. Giving expands and becomes realized through religion, accumulating within someone as they become accustomed and content with themselves. Once one feels this feeling of peace, they want to share and exploit it in every way possible, so if religion expands exponentially, peace will become attainable. To live one must give so that when one dies he can thrive in heaven. So, why not make the most of one’s time on earth to give so one can thrive in the afterlife?

“Ever since then I have been trying to take every opportunity, every moment I can to find something to do, as far as growing the kingdom, whether it be just talking to people, coming to help out at Freedom Church, doing little mini-mission trips locally, or running bible studies within my group of friends as a local coffee shop,” Aldridge said.

Believing in something, however, does not mean every person will latch on to this indescribable feeling. To an atheist, a feeling cannot move mountains, but to one who believes, the belief can. Society thrives on conflict and drama and cannot exist without it. When approached with a concept based solely on a feeling of faith, people lean towards the logical method for peace: increased protection. 

 “People who have developed a firm faith, grounded in understanding and rooted in daily practice, are in general much better at coping with adversity than those who have not,” the Dalai Lama said.

Faith brings happiness and courage in one’s life. Without faith one does not contain a reason to live for others, while religious people do not live for themselves, accomplishing this for their God, for peace. In 2 Corinthians 9:7(NLT), it talks about giving cheerfully, because it makes the giver happy to impact others lives. 

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Misinterpreted giving can represent a selfish act, one gives another person something and expects that person to repay the favor another day, living purely for themselves. For example, a friend may give an acquaintance a small gift, such as a drink from Starbucks or a piece of candy to increase their popularity or the acquaintance’s perception of him. One must give without a motive in order to truly give. 

Explore. Explore religious beliefs all around the world. Learn and live them, and one will discover something more extraordinary than themselves because if one focuses solely on themselves they become a cup filled with materialistic reliance that will eventually become them. Faith unites the world as the new generation embraces the incoming revolution of religion. Faith, complete trust in someone or something, powers hope and trust in all who contain it in any form or fashion.