— MAJOR KIRA. ACCESSION. Stardate Not Given

We’ve all heard this argument used by people to justify actions they can’t defend otherwise. “It was a matter of personal faith,” they’ll say. “You wouldn’t understand because you’re not…” And then they fill in the blank with whatever religion they happen to be, and you aren’t.

But just because the argument is misused, doesn’t mean it’s not true. Faith isn’t something you can readily understand without having it, without living it. And trying to explain an action motivated by faith is rarely satisfying, because there’s so much more involved than logic.

For example, try to logically justify your love for someone else, and why that love motivates you to do all the things you do. Try to explain why we should have compassion for a total stranger, freely give them our food or clothing or hard-earned latinum even though we may never see them again. We can’t explain it. We just do it.

The concepts and disciplines that give direction and meaning to our lives are, in a sense, indefensible. They justify themselves only by their effect on us—on how we feel about ourselves, how we treat others, and whether they inspire us to reach for our highest potential.

I need not justify my beliefs to others. But I can affirm their truth for me by the positive effects they are having on my life, and on my relationships.

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The above meditation is taken from Going Boldly on Your Inner Voyage © 1999-2004, IF Books.

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