Channing Lee - Stronger Than Trust: Igniting the Faith Within Us

NEW DEGREE PRESS
COPYRIGHT 2021 CHANNING LEE
All rights reserved.

STRONGER THAN TRUST
IGNITING THE FAITH WITHIN US

ISBN 978-1-63676-959-2 Paperback
978-1-63676-433-7 Hardcover
978-1-63730-025-1 Kindle Ebook
978-1-63730-127-2 Ebook

To Ms. Judith Leslee, without whom my faith would be non-existent. Thank you for everything.

STRONGER THAN TRUST

Faith is to believe what you do not see;
the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

Saint Augustine

In August of 2020, a friend and I decided it was a great idea to hike up Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in New England.

At 6,288 feet, this New Hampshire mountain has been labeled one of Americas most dangerous hikes, among other superlatives. Thankfully it was summer, which saved us from freezing snowstorms and howling winds. But the first two and a half miles of steep incline and the latter two miles of literal rock climbing did not exactly present the smoothest hike.

Although we knew the hike wouldnt be easy, my partner and I did not fully fathom just how difficult the trek really was until we began. About a half-mile into the trek, I felt weak. I didnt know if my legs could physically carry me any further, or if they would give in after passing another steep incline.

For the five months prior to the hike, I had been quarantining with my family at home in order to avoid contracting and spreading the coronavirus as a pandemic raged throughout the world. To prepare for this journey, I earnestly tried to exercise each day, but work often thwarted my efforts. I had hiked difficult trails before, but never after a five-month period of thumping up and down my stairs at home as my main form of exercise.

Nonetheless, I held on to my determination.

For five hours, we persevered, longing to witness the breathtaking, six-thousand-foot view of New Hampshire. Our fantasy of reaching the top of a seemingly endless mountain blinded us to the reality that laid ahead. We encountered rocks and boulders of all different sizes, waterfalls and tiny brooks, beautiful groves of trees, and many people passing by wishing us good luck. Periodic stops to snack on granola bars and rehydrate helped, but my body felt as though it might collapse. Little did I know that the most important form of nourishment I needed in my backpack was one I had already possessed: faith.

When most people hear faith, they often think about religious views and an omnipotent, divine figure. A quick Google search will provide pages and pages of religious rhetoric, mostly dominated by Christian literature. The point here, however, is not to dispute the existence of religious connotations of faithful ideals. A devout Roman Catholic myself, I identify strongly with my religious faithI love my God.

Yet while this conventional interpretation of faith enriches the lives of so many around the world, there also exists another more basic, broader, and universal truth in this ideal: the complete trust in someone or something, even when there may not yet be proof that such confidence is worth your while.

Therefore, when we look at the true definition of faith, we see that it encompasses many things beyond religion. It can be strength, love, and hope. Or, a belief in somethinga god, a collective body, a happenstance, another person, even yourself. Faith is the mindset that calms in times of stress and celebrates in times of joya knowing that it will all be alright.

Unfortunately, in this modern age, the word faith seems to exude an outdated aura that to many, especially young people, seems conservative and anti-progressive. Even worse, some mistakenly misconstrue faith to be a negative force in society that seeks to strip people of their individual agency.

Because people often view faith as an exclusively religious term, they seem to only understand it in such a way. The media often paint Christians as an imposing group that does nothing but oppose womens reproductive rights and perpetuate patriarchy. Indeed, some interpretations of the Bible may emphasize gender norms, and some in Washington fight against the expansion of rights for traditionally marginalized groups. Especially since young people often long to be liberated, they see institutionalized religion as another form of restraint that tries to tell them what to do and what not to do.

Over time, the generalized, political, and wrongful portrayal of Muslims as terrorists, Christians as child molesters, Jews as the ultimate scapegoat, and even atheists as cynics has eliminated any meaning of faith that may do good, shattering the true innocence of this conviction.

But the truth is, faith is inclusive. We have more in common than it may seem.

Deep down inside, all of us have a version of faith onto which we cling at any moment in time; it is only our choice whether or not to accept it into our lives. As human nature directs, we all place our trust in something, but only by fully embracing that trust can we overcome the challenges that lay aheadeven when we cannot foresee the results.

Embracing faith will lead you to optimism and community, two elements deteriorating with our increasingly isolated lives, thanks in many respects to the digital age. Developing your faith wont be easy, nor will it be instantaneous. Many of us expect our daily commands to materialize immediatelymost web searches take less than a secondand we are unwilling to place trust or confidence in someone or something whose yield we may not see immediately or even in a short amount of time.

Yet that is where faith challenges us to embrace something out of our comfort zones. We must allow ourselves to be open about what this conviction really means in order to find a place for it in our lives.

As I climbed Mount Washington on that sunny August afternoon, my friend consistently cheered me on, saying we were almost there and that we would be there soon. Those who passed us on their way down the mountain assured us that we could do it. I prayed to God that we would be safe, but I also had faith in myself, even when I did not know whenor ifI would reach the top. While I doubted my bodys physical strength, I never once doubted my minds.

Indeed, my mind prevailed. When we finally reached the summit at around 5:30 in the evening, the clear sky welcomed me with open arms, beckoning me to enjoy the incredible view that lay below us. My racing heart cried out in joy above the sea of green and blue in front of me. My sweat even concealed the cold!

Without faith in God, my friend, my safety, the weather around us, and myself, I would never have been able to boast that I hiked to one of the highest points on the East Coast. Now, I can do so with pride, knowing it was my faithmy trust during such a challenging journeythat helped me achieve my goal.

There are many reasons why you might find this book to be useful along your own journey. Perhaps you are disillusioned with family traditions, religion in general, and a bleak future, or maybe you just need encouragement about your own faith tradition. To those ends, I promise you will not be disappointed.

The journey through these chapters will tell the stories of people from all walks of lifedifferent racial backgrounds, a wide spectrum of religious and political affiliations, and more. Many are younger, Gen-Zers like myself, but faith is a timeless blessing that transcends age and experience. Together we will explore how faith plays a role in our personal lives, social advocacy, business, public service, and the like. Although some names have been changed, these are real stories of real people, many of whom are just like you and me, whose faith helped them overcome obstacles and embrace more fulfilling lives.