Journal: Reflections on faith

Faith is like artwork. Artworks, like films, music, poetry — they are mediums — representations of our minds and feelings when words fail us. These mediums offer a reflection of our psyche, a mirror to the parts of us that we cannot encapsulate through mere language. When we associate a song with a person or recall someone in the frames of a film, it transcends verbal explanation; our sentiments lay bare, inviting interpretation or, perhaps, offering a piece of our experience for another to inhabit momentarily.

That's the reason why we say, "This song reminds me of you", or "I watched this film and thought of you." In that sense, we no longer have to explain in words. Our feelings are out in the open for the other to interrogate and dissect, or in many ways, to be "worn" by the other.

In a similar vein, faith is a representation of the very thing in this world that logic and rationality fail to explain. While science explains the "how", faith explains the "why". Faith and science don't just bridge. Faith breathes meaning into science, to numbers, to what we can see, hear, or touch. Faith is art. It delves into the mysteries that science brings to light but does not explain, imbuing them with significance and purpose. And in that way, it should never be contradictory to science — rather; it beautifies it. If it seems contradictory, that's a call to look further or deeper. That's also the beauty of lived experience and cultural nuance among a set of numbers.

This synergy between faith and science is perhaps most evident in the genesis of scientific exploration itself—the formulation of a hypothesis. Here, even the most empirical of minds must lean into the realm of belief, positing a theory without the crutch of evidence, driven by an observation or a hunch. This initial leap, rooted in faith, is what propels the quest for knowledge forward. Scientists, in this light, are not just scholars but seekers, their hypotheses akin to artworks—each a personal testament to their curiosity and wonder.

So, faith is not merely an abstract concept relegated to the spiritual or religious; it is an integral part of the human experience, a necessary companion to our rational endeavors. And religion or spirituality only serves as a subset of it. It prompts us to question, to explore, and to seek out the beauty inherent in the unknown. Just as art allows us to express what lies beyond words, faith enables us to find meaning in the complexities of the universe, reminding us that there is always more beneath the surface waiting to be discovered and cherished.