There’s that old saying, “don’t talk politics or religion.”

And yet… here I am, about to start a post all about religion, faith and joy.

“How do I approach such a potentially divisive and personal topic?” my brain says.

To which, I can hear my heart quietly saying, “With an open heart.”

Here’s to an open heart, faith, and the joy that ensues.

Faithful Foundations

Partly why talking religion is oft ill-advised is the fact there’s no one who has the same faith walk as you. Even two siblings, growing up in the same house with nearly identical childhood experiences, find themselves with unique perspectives and viewpoints when it comes to their faith.

For me, I was born into and attended a nondenominational Christian church all the way through high school graduation. Attending this church was special to me growing up. Being nondenominational, I wasn’t taught a specific dogma or creed. So, while I learned the lessons of the Bible, it was still up to me to figure out what it all meant for myself.

Now, with that all said, this could be very hard to ponder on as a child! I mean… is there anything as abstract as faith? Like anything? Maybe quantum physics… but still.

What came to be was I just took on the beliefs of the ministers and Sunday School teachers. Which, reflecting back, is to be expected for a little person with limited abstract thinking skills! However, as I grew-and my ability for abstract thinking- I started being able to really dive into figuring out faith for myself a bit more.

Messy Middles

As a young adult, this faith basis was sacred to me. Call it my Aquarius sun in me, but I just never resonated personally with the idea of something being presented as an absolute truth-no questioning needed. I need that ability to wonder, to ponder, and form my own understanding.

After going through my darkest of rock bottoms in 2020, I found myself forced to take a long and deep look at my faith after it kind of got put to the back burner between college and grad school.

What did this deep study into faith look like?

Deep reflection.

Meditation.

Therapy.

Nature walks.

Yoga.

Going within.

I really had to figure out how I defined faith for myself. What difference is there between faith and spirituality? Is there one? Did I believe in God? Or something else? What teacher resonates with me the most? What if there’s more than one teacher I believe in? Do I believe in an afterlife? These were all questions that I had to truly and deeply ask myself.

Everlasting Endings

This wish and desire for understanding is now where faith and life find me… amazingly circling back to the same ideas from my childhood church.

It’s been a slowwwww process-one that I’m still on and will be for the rest of my life.

But, here’s where I stand as I type this out.

I believe faith and spirituality are as interconnected as two shoelaces tying a knot. You can certainly tie a knot with one shoelace, but together they work best.

I’ve found my understanding of faith and spirituality through the definitions of author and thought leader Brené Brown.

Faith, she defines,”is a place of mystery where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”

Spirituality is,”recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion,” according to Brown.

Both of those tie (pun intended!) to form my basis of what is beyond our five senses.

The Intersection of Faith + Joy

I believe in a higher power.

Whether it is called God, the Universe, Gaia, Higher Love, etc., I personally feel this is what guides us every single day.

It’s what has shaped our beautiful world. What’s made those awe-producing sunsets and those beyond-words constellations in the sky. It’s what shaped our mountaintops and our vast oceans. It’s what decided you were made to live for this very time.

It’s from that higher power that I feel joy comes from.

When we’re experiencing joy…it’s a sign we are tapped into that higher power of love.

For myself, I can’t imagine experiencing joy without my faith.

The two are cause and effect. Faith causes joy and joy causes faith.

When I look back on the times in my life where I felt the most joy, it was a.) when I was out experiencing the world-whether it be through travel, nature walks, hikes, star-gazing, watching sunsets, etc. and b.) when I felt that universal love with family, friends, fellow humans and the world.

Faith is what provides us with those aspects. It’s what gives air for the breath of joy to form.

Whether you’re a believer in the lessons of Confucius, Mohammed, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, or another teacher or none at all- I believe, personally, we’re all learning from a compass pointed towards a more joyful existence.

Photos by Simon Berger on Unsplash