Belief - among the most difficult elements of the human condition for contemporary liberal people to discuss. Part of it is because we live in an age in which "belief" is not always perceived as a necessary building block of personal identity; also, and related, is that for generations we have been socialized away from sharing and articulating what we believe, the depth - if any - of our faith, and even our most closely held doubts. Partly due to how our religious education has developed: yes, we learn the books of the Bible, the holiday stories, and some generic pediatric versions of theology. Far too seldom do we explore our understanding of self, the cosmos, God at a developmental level that is appropriate for the emerging stages of life (last year's Reform Movement-sponsored God Survey is perhaps a notable exception). Let's also not forget that in this post-feminist era of the decline of male presence in public religious life, men have been particularly absent in these conversations - to the detriment of all.And so, along with other factors, it becomes easier to sail through life without the power of belief to serve as an anchor when necessary. Lacking this tool, the challenges we face all to easily lead to self-doubt rather than opportunities for growth, collaboration and renewal. I'm not sure how to *fix* this issue - maybe we begin just be being willing to share.
For Elul 8:
Belief - faith in something big inside ourself (Pete Townshend)
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