Since the beginning of time, human beings have turned to faith, religion, and spirituality as a refuge during the world’s storms, a pathway through personal struggles, and a roadmap to navigate when life’s darkness descends. Today, however, when we find ourselves, individually or collectively, within the storms, many of us (perhaps the growing majority of us) are left feeling alone, adrift on the ocean without a religious connection, a divine direction, or a ship to call our spiritual home.
Traditional religion feels dogmatic, legalistic, and outright stifling – so we discard the old ways for new age . New Age spirituality and the quest to avoid dark emotions and rush to embrace love and light, feels contrived, unrealistic, and simplistic.
More drifting. More loneliness. More wandering without a direction, faith, or a spiritual home.
Personally, I’ve wandered through the landscape of love and light spiritual-lite alternatives. I’ve also sat stifled within the narrow confines of traditional religion, unable to breathe or believe. I’ve lived with it all. I’ve lived with none of it. Ultimately, what I wanted, needed, and have returned to is neither all nor nothing.
Instead, I have taken back some of it – the authentic pieces, the open-hearted parts, the inspirational places – that I know to be truly divine. It’s taken decades of seeking, searching and wandering, but I have returned to what I’ve known as “outrageous faith”.
Outrageous faith is not some simplistic, pietistic, God-fearing faith. Nor is it new age narcissism, darkness-denying-spiritual by-pass faith.
Rather…
It’s the faith that comes from failure after failure, mistake after mistake. And yet, somehow finding the strength to get back up, dust myself off, and move forward with humility and hope, again and again – this is outrageous faith.
It’s the faith that comes from betrayal: betrayed by friends, by colleagues, by family. And yet, still seeking a relationship, willing to be vulnerable, ready to commit – this is outrageous faith.
It’s the faith that comes through despair: stripped by the death of loved ones, battered by grief with no end in sight, overwhelmed in loneliness through dark nights of the soul. And yet, still finding meaning, fulfilling a purpose, choosing to live – this is outrageous faith.
And it’s a faith that emanates not from fear, but awe; not from desperation, but inspiration; not from guilt, obligation, or expectation, but from an insatiable longing, a wild ecstasy, and a primal desire for divinity – this is outrageous faith.
It’s a faith nurtured in exploring ancient mystical texts.
It’s a faith that grows through ecstatic chanting, disciplined meditation & heartfelt prayer.
It’s a faith sustained by intimate conversation, a conscious community defined by radical hospitality, unconditional acceptance & committed relationships.
It’s a hard-won, graciously given, elegant, and edgy faith.
And it’s a faith that embraces the dark stuff and celebrates the rage coming out as the only way for the real light to enter and remain.
It is real. It is possible. It is yours. If you are ready for an outrageous Faith!
