Welcome to the EarthCare Module on "Faith."
Unit Focus: Faith as a spiritual principle is that quality that enables us to look past appearances of lack, conflict, difficulty or limitation and maintain conviction in truth and Divine order. It is the power to hold the possibility of good no matter the circumstance. Faith goes beyond thinking to an inner feeling, a knowing. The more we exercise faith, the stronger our faith capacity becomes. Every day we exercise faith without even thinking about it when we trust that gravity will keep us from being flung off the fast-spinning planet beneath our feet. The myriad, magnificent wild creatures we share the planet with demonstrate an ease of faith as they move through their lifecycles without worry or fear but just in the flow of living. - Demonstrate understanding of the spiritual power of faith.
- Identify evidence of the activity of faith in the human interaction with nature and the whole of creation.
- Integrate the spiritual principle of faith as related to Earth/Creation care into Unity services and teachings.
I know the truth of my Self as a powerful spiritual being, flowing with spiritual ideas, one with and supported by Source/God/Creator. From the knowing place of faith, I and all of Creation are healed and restored. I am confident and expectant of good.
We bring our attention into the holy instant of now, the present moment, and focus our awareness on the essence of our true identity, a powerful, beautiful spiritual being. Faith flows to and through us creating conditions for greater and greater good to manifest. From this place of centeredness, we affirm that all beings – trees, stones, elementals, fish, birds, humans, reptiles, mammals, mollusks, fungi, insects, ALL Beings are thriving individually and collectively. Humanity has awakened to the magic of our existence and the miracle of life all around us. Knowing this is aligned with Divine Order we say thank you and so it is.
Faith Can Change the World .. View
By Rev. Cylvia Hayes
I’ve always loved post-apocalyptic stories. I think that’s partly because I thought myself something of a bad-ass and fantasized that I’d do pretty well in a survivalist, dystopian setting. Now that I’m 56, got a good bit of hard mileage on the bod and hardware in it, and have co-created a peaceful life that I love, I’m really not so keen on the whole survivalist thing!
The deeper aspect that still draws me to post-apocalyptic tales is that as far back as I can remember I have sensed the illusion, the insanity, in the culturally dominant worldview. I’ve always had faith there was a better way, and a better way of being with one another and all of nature.
Each of us moves through life viewing the world around us in a particular way based on a set of beliefs we’ve developed and assumptions we’ve accepted. This becomes our personal worldview. In addition, we’re immersed in a cultural worldview that greatly influences our thinking and beliefs. This programming creates an overlay we place on everything we experience. In a profound, often subconscious way it colors what we do and do not have faith in.
One of the most intriguing things about worldview is that sometimes these incredibly powerful beliefs and assumptions are true, and sometimes they’re not. The more aware we become of our mostly unconscious beliefs and ways of viewing the world the more agency we have over personal experiences and our ability to shape society.
The worldview that currently dominates humanity, driven by the globally-connected economy, is Western consumerism. Western consumerism refers to an ideology revolving around a social and economic structure in which people are viewed as customers/consumers and are encouraged to buy stuff, regardless of whether we need it or not. Consumerism is inextricably linked to extractive capitalism which extracts raw materials from nature, and labor and money from people in the roles of paid workers and consumers.
Product producers and the marketing industry use sophisticated, psychologically manipulative messaging and images to convince us that we’ll gain a sense of happiness and fulfillment through material possessions. We are susceptible to this because our brains are wired in such a way that there is usually a release of the feel-good hormone dopamine when we do acquire something even if we know we’re going to have buyers-remorse afterwards. Anything that gives us repeated dopamine hits can become addictive or at least habitual.
The Western consumerism worldview consistently tells us to place our faith in stories like:
• More stuff is always better.
• You will be much sexier if you buy a new car, boat, or new and improved gadget or (fill in the blank).
• Your worth as a human is based on the size of your bank account.
This same worldview also tells us that humans are apart from, and superior to, all the rest of nature and that it is our right to do with nature, and other species, as we will.
Whether considering personal or cultural worldviews, it’s worth differentiating between blind faith and spiritual faith. Humans excel at exercising blind faith. It’s an act of faith to walk down a trail and believe we’re not going to go flying off the planet even though it’s spinning at a rapid rate. It’s an act of faith to hit the accelerator when the light turns green trusting red lights are working across the intersection. If we are not aware of the worldview shaping our thinking and beliefs, we may be placing blind faith in a set of values and behaviors that we don’t support.
Spiritual faith is quite different. While faith is an inherent capacity within us, we must intentionally cultivate it to unleash the power of spiritual faith. In Keep a True Lent, Charles Fillmore noted that, “Faith working in spiritual substance accomplishes all things. This is the faith that co-operates with creative law.”
Fillmore also taught that faith is linked with the power to shape substance. Our creative energy is always exercising faith in some way – either in the problem or the solution, appearances or possibility. Therefore, it is important we become clear about our perceptions and assumptions and make sure that we are placing faith in things we do believe in, and do want.
Similar to imagination, we need to be intentional about and conscious of where we are placing our faith. I appreciate the Daily Word entry from October 6, 2023 which reads, in part:
There are so many times I have been faced with a worrisome situation and found myself wishing I had more faith.
I realize now I wasn’t lacking in faith. Instead, by worrying or envisioning the worst outcome, I was using my faith faculty to believe in something I did not want.
I have all the faith I could ever need, but it’s up to me to direct it toward believing the highest and best outcomes are on their way to me and that God – the one presence and one power – is all good all the time.
The spiritual power of faith is about sourcing from a Power greater than just our human selves.
We are in a time a massive change, and disruption in our world. As I write, we are witnessing disruptive worker strikes, environmental protests all around the globe, movements to disinvest in harmful industries, demands for social justice for those who have been, are being, most harmed by the current system. Nature is flexing her muscles with intensified storms, droughts, wildfires and floods.
We tend to think these are all separate issues but actually, they are all one. They are a new way coming forth. They are a turning away from the way that has been our “norm”, a way that we have placed faith in, for some time.
Nearly every post-apocalyptic story is violent and depicts humans regressing into a basic nature of violent selfishness. But, importantly, that’s not actually how humans tend to behave in times of crisis. More often, when largescale crises hit – wildfires, floods, earthquakes -- the noblest aspects of human nature emerge -- people risking themselves to help another, opening their homes to strangers, sharing food, etc.
While much of what we’re seeing and hearing feels tumultuous and scary, I have faith that it is actually a portal to the most profound positive transformation any of us have ever experienced. The greatest urge of Creation is to beget more Creation. The Mind of God is not about diminishment, but rather expansion, and beauty.
What if navigating these challenging, scary, transitional times actually brings out the best in us? What if it turns out to be beautiful? Why not place our faith in that? I’m a life-long professional environmentalist and I have a lot of faith in nature’s ability to heal and revitalize. Why not place more faith in that? And then let’s put feet to our faith by taking every action possible to undo an unhealthy worldview and create a more beautiful world so that all beings can thrive.
NOTE: In case you’re interested here is a Sunday talk I delivered on the topic of Worldview.
Lesson Engagement
This pre-recorded talk is available for your personal use or for viewing in your congregation (in-person or online). The speaker is Rev. Kathy Harwood Long. She can be reached here.
Content by Rev. Kathy Harwood Long
Content by Rev. Eliasa Sabogal
Blue whales, the largest animal on the planet, are making a significant comeback. Though still endangered, there are now approximately 25,000 worldwide, up from a low of just a few thousand. The magnificent creatures are especially prominent now off the coast of Southern California, where app. 2,000 are currently doing their thing. This hopeful trend is a result of regulations to reduce lost fishing gear that entangles whales and other marine life and changing shipping lanes and reducing ship speeds to avoid running into the whales.
Books
The Great Work, by Thomas Berry
A Wild Love for the World, by Joanna Macy
Podcasts
What Could Possibly Go Right?. In this interview series sponsored by Post Carbon Institute, Vicki Robin, activist and best-selling author on sustainable living, talks with provocative thought leaders about emerging possibilities and ways humanity might step onto a better, post-pandemic path.
Videos:
24 Hours of Reality: "Earthrise" by Amanda Gorman
Movie – Biggest Little Farm.
Quotes
“If you put your heart against the Earth with me in serving every creature, our Beloved will enter you from our sacred realm, and we will be so happy.” – Rumi
“I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that are to be done by me today.” - Charles Fillmore.