Faith

This was a speech that I competed with in my junior year of high school.

(Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so...) Have you ever stopped and thought about this statement? If you grew up going to Sunday School, chances are that you had this song drilled into your head week after week. We had to sing it at church, just because the teacher told us to. But did you ever sing it while you were by yourself? I know I did. I sang it when I played with my stuffed animals, when I would brush my doll's hair, and when I would get ready for bed. Even though I am older now, I still sing this song on occasion. This simple song has such a statement of faith that we don't catch when we are young. We claim to know that God loves us, just because we have read it or we heard someone read it to us. But we can't see God, so how did we know He was really there? And how did we know that He loved us? We couldn't prove He did, but we believed. Belief of things unseen is in all people, therefore faith is alive in every heart. Today we will discover how faith is a part of each person. There are three aspects that we will consider, these being religion, science, and personal presuppositions.

Before we move on we must first ask ourselves, what is faith? The word faith is derived from a Greek word that means, persuasion. In essence when you have faith you are fully persuaded of something. It means that if we believe in things that we can't prove are there, that we can't touch, and we can't see, we have faith in them.

Now that we know what faith is, we can move onto the first point, an examination of faith and religion. Today people generally associate faith only with religion. When asked about their faith many people will say, I am Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and the list goes on and on. I am sure you have heard someone say, "I believe in God, so my faith is in Him." There are many gods that people claim to put their trust in, such as Jesus Christ, Allah, or Zeus. To these people there is a higher power, some supreme ruler of over their lives, but this power can not be seen.

On the other hand there are people who claim to have no faith, because they claim to not associate themselves with religion or believe in any god whatsoever. While this may seem true, we must ask ourselves, are these people really without faith just because they don't believe in a specific God? When we stop and look deep into their hearts, we find that there is faith, it is just in a different form. These people believe that in themselves there is a power that allows them to make decisions. They make themselves god, claiming that they are not responsible to any higher power. They are persuaded that they are the highest authority, so they in fact have faith in themselves. Faith that they are capable of making decisions on their own. So whether you put your trust in a God that you can not see, or in yourself, faith is alive in your heart.

Every person studies science, whether they realize it or not. Each day when we make observations about the world around us we are studying science. This brings me to my second point, that science is a form of faith. Today scientists claim that science is an objective study, a study void of emotion, everything is based off of fact. Charles Darwin supported this belief best when he said, "A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, a mere heart of stone." But is this really true? Can science truly ever be free of emotion? There are thousands of debates on many "scientific principles", because every person has a different interpretation of what they see around them.

One of the most popular and controversial debates in the scientific community is that of whether the world came about by a "Big Bang" or if it came about by "Intelligent Design." People claim that the world just happened in the big bang theory. There was an explosion, and our world was created. On the other hand the people who believe in intelligent design contend that a higher power, had a specific design in mind, and this power shaped our world out of nothing. In either case no one can prove that their theory is correct. No one alive today was there when the world was formed. Everyone simply believes their theory to be the right one.

Their view on how the world came into existence greatly influences how they look at everything around them. Those who believe in the Big Bang theory, generally believe in evolution. They feel that through the years humans have evolved from a lower life form. This leads them to believe that they are constantly getting better, that they are more superior than those who have gone before them. But those who believe in Intelligent Design feel that their purpose is to live their lives according to standards or goals that their creator has placed for them. But whichever view they hold, Big Bang or Intelligent Design, they put their trust in something that can not be proven, this is another example of how in every heart faith is alive.

What would you do if someone walked up to you, and said, "The sun will not rise tomorrow. You only have 24 hours to live."? I know that I would simply not believe what this person was saying. I have witnessed the sun rise many times, and I am persuaded that it will happen again. This leads me to my third and final point, how everyone has assumptions, called presuppostions, and these presuppositions are another form of faith.

The first time I heard the word presupposition is when I studied worldviews. The course I took on worldviews opened with a study on our assumptions, and how these assumptions dictate our lives. Now when we assume things to be fact, just because we have witnessed them happen before, we create a personal presupposition. If we stop and examine this, we can see that presuppositions are yet another form of faith. Returning to the example of the sun rise. Almost every person assumes that the sun will rise tomorrow, but is there a guarantee that this will happen? No, there is no guarantee. There are outside factors that could stop the world from its rotation, but we don't worry about this. We believe that tomorrow will come, and we don't spend our time fretting away.

These presuppositions affect our every day lives. British scientist Gregory Bateson said, "Science, like art, religion, commerce, warfare, and even sleep, is based on presuppositions." In this quote he was talking specifically on how science is based off of our beliefs,, but as you can see every aspect of our lives is based on our presuppositions. This is because our lives revolve around what we perceive to be true. Our personal personal presuppositions create our unique identity. Everyone has presuppositions, but most of the time we fail to recognize them. But just because we don't notice them, that doesn't mean they aren't there. These concepts are part of us, part of our daily lives, and yet they aren't visible. We still believe, we still trust, and everyone holds assumptions, these faiths in their hearts.

In conclusion I would like to go back over the points and examples that I have brought forth today. First, in the aspect of religion, there are those who claim that there is a god, and there are those who claim there is no god. But either way, every person puts their faith in something, whether it be in themselves or in a higher power. Second, every person studies science and science is based off of belief. Things that we claim are "fact" are simply based off of what you are persuaded is true, but ultimately can not prove. And third, every person has presuppositions. We believe in something that we can not prove and have no guarantee of, therefore we have faith.

These are just a few examples of how faith dwells in each person, there are many more. When thinking about the importance of our beliefs in regard to our lives today I am reminded of a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Too often we are afraid to take a stand for what we believe in, because we are afraid of others looking down upon us. We shouldn't be ashamed of our beliefs, because everyone has them. If we were to open up to the world, and if everyone recognized that faith and trust is in every heart then we could break down walls of condemnation, hatred, and mistrust. You are not alone in this world when it comes to believing in something. Everyone has beliefs, everyone is persuaded of something, and everyone puts their trust in unknown things. The time has come for people to be able to freely speak out on what has been pressing on their hearts. When we do this we can work together to face the challenges in our world. We may believe in different things, but the key to solving problems is to embrace our differences and use whatever similarities we have to operate as one. There is one common similarity between all people, and this is faith. Today as you look around you, and see people in all aspects of life, reach out, offer a helping hand. Sharing your life isn't hard as long as you never, ever forget this one simple principle, that faith is alive in every heart.

Imperfection

At the beginning of this semester, my first in college, I came home in a very somber mood. I silently went to the kitchen, got my dinner, and ate. During this whole time I do not think that I lifted my head more than once. After I finished my dad asked me what was wrong. Silently I walked over to my book bag and pulled out the Spanish quiz I had taken a week earlier. As I handed it over to him, tears started to well up in my eyes. By this time he wasn’t quite sure what was wrong. He looked over the quiz and didn’t see anything wrong, so he proceeded to ask what I was upset about. “I got a D!” I told him, now fully crying. “What’s wrong with a D?” he asked and I replied “It’s my first D ever! I don’t know what I did wrong!” After this exclamation he began to laugh. Yes, he started to laugh as I stood in the kitchen blubbering. He told me that it wasn’t the end of the world, and since he is fluent in Spanish showed me the simple mistakes I was making. Yes, this is a true story and yes, I did cry over a grade.
For the majority of my life I have strived for perfection. Good grades, community service, and a good public appearance are constantly at the front of my mind. However, most of the time I make mistakes and my works become tarnished. If I feel like I am not good enough or haven’t tried hard enough then I become frustrated with myself and either completely give up or try again with more fervor. But no matter what I do my attempts at perfection are constantly struck down and my pride is checked. I know I am not alone in this quest for perfection. When we consider the amount of self-help books, amount of cosmetic surgery, and amount of money spent on frivolous items that one does not need it is apparent that our culture is obsessed with perfection. We strive to be more than we can ever be and when we realize that we are not perfect creatures it is devastating.

When I was younger I rejected the image of Barbie. I never really liked her, although I did play with Barbie dolls on occasion. However, most of the time my dolls or my sister’s dolls would end up decapitated. I do know many girls who loved to play with their Barbie dolls, and I just never understood why. Maybe it was the blonde hair that fell perfectly around her face. Maybe it was the fact that she held just about every occupation out there. Maybe it was her wardrobe that was always fresh and fashionable. Little girls idolize these types of concepts. We are planners and want to plan out our lives. When I was younger I remembered my plans for my life. I was going to grow up and have blonde hair, own a restaurant, be a ballerina, and a mother of four (out of those four children two would be adopted). Fast forward ten years and those plans have drastically changed. My little view of the perfect life no longer fits those criteria. To be quite honest, I don’t know what the perfect life even looks like anymore. My idealism is gone for the most part and has been placed with a very pragmatic attitude. Goals are what drive my life, and my view of perfection is achieving these goals. Most of them are good goals to have, but they are generally taken to the extreme. Works drive my life and half the time my heart is not in my actions. I am simply on auto-pilot striving to check things off of my list to accomplish. When I stumble and can’t fulfill these goals I become frustrated, angry, or disappointed in myself. Forgiveness is not something that I easily give to myself. I know a fair amount of people who struggle with this exact issue. If our “to-do lists” are not completed then forms of self-punishment are inflicted. This comes in many forms and breaks my heart. Our culture no longer is about keeping up with the Joneses, but being better than them. If we can’t do this then either we are the problem and that needs to be corrected or we need to consume more products to create the façade that we are better than those around us.

However, what is our attraction to perfection based on? There is a desire, at some level, in every person to be the best in some area, but why? To be honest, I have no clue. This constantly confuses me. I personally hate it when I think that people are better than I am, so why would I want to be better than others? Would I want them to dislike the fact that I can do something better than they can? It makes no sense to me. Every time I think about my search for perfection I think of movies created for teenage girls. I must confess that on rare occasions I find these types of movies amusing (although I will forever be enchanted by war movies. Don’t worry anyone.) In most of these movies there is one girl who just isn’t good enough. She doesn’t have the right clothes, acts like a dork, and isn’t as pretty as the other girls, but at least she has personality! The antagonist generally is a tall, thin, leggy, and beautiful girl who seems to have everything. However, she is a mean girl. Everyone adores her and wants to be her, but she is a generally described as evil personified. Her life seems perfect, but no one truly likes her. I feel that what we feel about perfection in our every day lives. It is something so tempting, something we know we can never have, but at the same time it’s repulsive. The idea of imperfection is something that humans cling to. We strive to seek imperfection in others in order to connect with them. Honestly, when do you find that you become close to those whom you are in community with? Is it when your lives are great and you seem to be on a high? Or is it those bonds created when one failed and needs a shoulder to cry on? Do appreciate your time with your friends more when you all just got As on your tests or when you both just tripped up the stairs and ended up laughing at yourselves and each other? I believe that imperfection creates a stronger bond than the quest of perfection ever could. Yes, it is beneficial to better yourself and strive to get the most out of life, but recognizing that imperfection can be beautiful is something that ought to be learned. When something has been chipped and broken, it becomes interesting and provides a story. Imperfection creates character and resilience. It illuminates the strengths that you possess if you allow it to. This is a concept that I struggle with, but it is one that I am learning is important. If we can learn to accept imperfection we can also learn to accept grace which is one of the most exquisite gifts that one can receive. Learning that we can not go it alone, and that we need the strength and forgiveness of others we cross paths with is excruciatingly important. Allowing yourself to be fully known, imperfection included, is one of the most beautiful gifts that you can give to the world. The more we pretend and try to perfect our lives the more miserable we become and it affects those around us. So today I guess I would just encourage you to find those areas of imperfection in your lives and embrace them. You can work on them and improve yourself, but learn to accept grace when you fail. Do not allow your mistakes to bog down your life and constantly be striving to shape your life in a positive manner. Apply yourself, make sure you have worthy goals, and put your heart into fulfilling your goals. Do not get stuck on auto-pilot and strive towards an unhealthy perception of life. Finally, allow yourself to learn and appreciate your flaws. Allow the light to shine through those holes in your life and illuminate the beauty from within.

All You Need Is Love

“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.” For my freshman writing seminar I had to write an essay on the Beatles, and for the past three weeks these lyrics (Among other Beatle ballads) have been reverberating in my head. During this time I was forced into analyzing their claim because I could not get them to leave. A concept of universal love emanates from them stating that as long as we have love and relationships nothing else is needed. Obviously this is not true. We depend on food and water to supply, but physical nourishment can not quench the hunger of our souls. Many people who know me know that I am a firm believer in community and relationships. It can not be disputed that the concept of community is the basis of society. Politics, commerce, religion, and many other aspects of our lives revolve around our relationships with those that surround us. At the heart of every healthy relationship is mutual respect and love from the other.
When I say love I am not referring to the distorted view of love that our culture promotes on a daily basis. It isn’t superficial, greedy, or full of lust. The definition for love that I am referring to is what is outlined in 1 Corinthians 13. The Amplified Bible provides us with this definition saying “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” Whether or not you would describe yourself as a Christian, that chapter demonstrates the criteria for pure love that I believe everyone can accept.

Our lives are centered on our connections with other people, and often our emotional health is intertwined with our community. From the earliest of times we can see people forming themselves into groups. There are innumerable amounts of relationships that exist today. However, not all of these relationships are healthy. We live in a world that does not promote mutual respect, and this is something that I struggle with observing. Social hierarchy, objectification, and other forms of degradation are all around me. I am not going to make the claim that I do not participate in this type of behavior on occasion, I do. It is not something I am proud of, but it does happen. I can not tell you how many times I have wished to see true love being promoted and this grotesque monster done away with. I want to see people cared for, looked after, respected, and truly loved.

I have many friends that come to me seeking advice, and relationship issues are what they commonly come to me for. Quite frankly I am not sure why they choose to come to me, because many times I am in the same position that they are in. But through this I can see a desperate cry for love at the core of every person. It becomes even more apparent to me when I turn on the radio, open a book, or watch television or movies. I believe that the number of songs, books, and shows/movies that contain some form of a love or relational story far outnumber those that do not. I believe that this stems from an inherent longing to love and be loved in return. If that desire is not fulfilled then we feel broken inside. Mother Teresa echoed this sentiment when she said “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” Community is a basic longing in each person and I think that it is time for us to start reaching out and touching the lives of others. I don’t know how that may look for you, maybe it is helping a friend with homework. Maybe it is baking cookies for your neighbor. Maybe it is teaching Sunday School. Maybe it is traveling to a foreign country on a mission trip. There are many forms in which love can manifest itself, and one of my passions is seeing others reach out to their communities. This brings me to the end of my rant. I felt like sharing what has been on my heart ever since that song got stuck in my head. I hope that you all have wonderful days and I wanted to let you know that I am more than happy to be in community with you.

Unconditional Love

"I will never let you fall, I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for through it all, even if saving you sends me to heaven."

"If you're lost you can look, and you will find me. Time after time. If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting. Time after time."

These quotes are from two of my favorite songs, "Your Guardian Angel" and "Time After Time". Now most people might find this shocking since, well, these are lyrics about love. This is something girly and very "un-Ashley-ish." But I will let you in on a little secret, at heart I really am a romantic person. Not only that, but I also have a huge heart for people. Any quote, song, book, movie, or story that is about pure love, I am drawn to. One of my favorite things to think about when listening or reading these stories is the concept of unconditional love. Love that is always there, no matter what the circumstances are. Love that has no rules, no regulations. Love that never ends. Love that simply is.

Now when most people think of love they usually will make some connection to chick-flicks. Personally, I have never been a fan of these movies, because they are just so... unrealistic. However, there have been a few that have caught my attention, and I have really enjoyed them. One of these movies is "50 First Dates". This movie is a beautiful story about a young lady who suffers from memory loss, due to a car accident. Every morning she wakes up and thinks that it is the morning of the accident, so she lives her life playing that day over and over. But as with all love stories we know that she has to meet a guy who falls head over heels for her, and that is exactly what happens. The problem with this is that the next morning she will wake up with no memory of this man. This means that he has to continually reintroduce himself to her, and he has to continue pursuing her anew, every day. At the end of this movie we see a beautiful marriage between these two characters. Instead of abandoning this woman, the man in this story decides to document their life together on tape. He decides to do this each and every day. When his wife wakes up every morning, she watches a video of their life together. He knows that she must do this in order to show her what is happening in her life and why she is living with him. I can't even imagine what that would be like... Knowing that if I can't record the memories for him, my husband wouldn't know who I was. Having to reestablish our relationship every day would be extremely difficult. And that is why I love this movie. Relationships are hard, and they take a lot of work to maintain. This movie reminds me of that. But it also shows how this man is willing to sacrifice a life of ease for someone he truly loves. He gives up his own life to help his wife rediscover hers, each and every day. He never leaves her. He never abandons her. He simply loves her, with no reservations.

Love without reservation is difficult to find, although it can come in many forms, such as family members, friends, or significant others. But when you do find it, it is a rare treasure that you will want to hold onto. I believe that I have this type of love coming from my family. It is evident that no matter what I do, they will always be there for me. For this I am extremely grateful. I also believe that I have found this love in several of my friends. No matter how many times I screw up in our relationship they help me up, and continue to be there for me. Now I am not saying that any of these individuals have completely grasped how to give love unconditionally, but I do see aspects of this type of love coming through in their lives.

I believe that as humans the complete concept of unconditional love in our lives is unattainable, but that shouldn't stop us. I know that no matter how much I try to apply this concept into my life, I constantly fail. I become frustrated with myself and want to give up. But that is what my family and friends are for. Through their love for me I find inspiration to continue to love others. Ultimately, however, my love does not come from myself, it comes from God. The characteristic of unconditional love is one that is frequently attributed to Him. When we choose to let him Him, He will use us as instruments for His glory. He will let His love shine through in our lives to touch the hearts of others.

So as I sit here trying to sort out these thoughts, all that I can realize is that there is a reason why those two opening quotes are two of my favorite quotes. It's because as humans we want to be treasured, appreciated, held, cared for, and loved. We want to know that no matter what we do, or how we mess up, someone will always be there for us. That no matter what happens, they will say, "I'll be there for you through it all, even if saving you sends me to heaven."