Faith - Kahil Gibran Kahil

Faith - Kahil Gibran

Kahil Gibran wrote, "Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof." By this, Gibran meant that there is much more to faith than what one's eyes can see and one's ears can hear. People pay so much attention to what is in their external world that they do not stop to focus on what is in their internal world. Their hearts and minds will give them the answers that they really need, but instead of looking internally for true knowledge, they look out into the world to see what others are saying they should believe. Even if a person is not particularly religious, he or she should look internally, to his or her own thoughts and beliefs, instead of looking outward and taking into account what everyone else is saying is the "right" thing to believe. Too often, people take proof as what they can see, hear, feel, and touch, but they fail to consider that there are other ways to prove things and other ways to have knowledge about which you feel certain.

"Proof" means different things to different people, as well, and what is considered proof by one person may not be considered proof by another person. This is particularly significant in religious circles, because proof to a Christian is not the same thing as proof to an atheist, and proof to a Jewish man may not be proof to a Muslim woman. People define proof differently, and the knowledge that they acquire from their own, individual opinion regarding proof shapes them and their faith. For those who do not believe in much of anything in the realm of an afterlife, their faith is in themselves or in science. People who believe in God or some other concept of a higher power put their faith in that entity and what He (or she) can do. They look for signs of that entity's existence, and they ask for guidance and hope and help when they are confused or when times are tough. They do not always get answers, but they do feel as though they have a connection.

Studies have shown that humans are generally hard-wired to believe in something more. Of course, not everyone will agree with this and some people will deny the existence of anything or anyone in which faith could be placed. Overall, though, people do have faith - and the majority of them have faith in something outside of themselves that is unseen. What passes for proof in this world is not needed by the next world, and is not needed by the heart, mind, or soul (spirit) of the person. People who have a deep faith are often quiet and reserved, although some of them can be very outspoken about what they believe and how much they want to share it with others. For many, faith is a very personal issue that they do not discuss with just everyone. It is different from religion in that it is not necessary to "belong" to any particular religion or subscribe to a particular doctrine in order to have faith. Faith in oneself and one's ability to do the right thing, take care of life, and handle events that occur is very important, but faith in something more than oneself is also worthy of consideration - and many people have both of these kinds of faith.