Faith Is a Quest

Re Out with the Old, February

More than 10 centuries back, the famous astrologer, historian and theologian Omar Khayyam, raised the same question in one of his rubaiyat (poems): “Myself when young did eagerly frequent / Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument / About it and about: but evermore / Came out by the same Door as in I went.”

In matters of faith, ultimately, there are neither questions nor answers. It is a quest. A matter of transcendental experience. How can one explain the sweetness of sugar? One has to taste it to know it. I’m sure at one point in history great intellectual debates and theological discussions were important. But faith journey goes beyond that.

The Punjabi Sufi, Bulla Shah writes: “You have done much study and read many books. You have become a scholar. But you never tried to read Your Own Self. Leave these books and search inside your heart and soul. And you will find the Truth there.”

I have interacted with people of diverse faiths and ideologies for many years and it has enriched my faith immensely. I have learned that the idea of ‘Sacred’ is central to religious experience as well as religious expression. The reverence towards places of worship, towards scriptures, sacred rituals and symbols are integral parts of worship. Never have I found people chatting away in temples or masjids. Symbols and rituals remind us of the supreme. Scriptures are treated with utmost reverence. The Sikhs carry their holy book on their heads. Even wearing shoes is not permitted in sacred places. We have much to learn from others as they have to from us. When they find our casual attitude towards our faith, how can they take it seriously? We have to let others know what it means to be a Christian.

Last year my wife and I spent two months in North India. Every place we went, the churches were full and there were young people singing and praising God. They have never heard of Calvin or even Luther. They only knew Jesus.