As a child, Watashi-wa had complete faith in his parents. As I grew older, I also had faith in my teachers, my schools, the government, the nation, the Western World, humanity as a whole.
Little by little, this confidence has been eroded. It is not that I don’t trust people or institutions at all, but I realise they are flawed. Beginning with my parents. They did the best they could, and I am very grateful for that, but they too have their limitations. And the same for teachers (although I have a few good teachers now). And governments and nations and systems of every sort. They are flawed because they are human, or made up of humans, and therefore fall short of perfection.
St. Porphyrios, who died in 1991, said that ‘Distress shows that we are not entrusting our life to Christ.’ He meant that God always knows what is best for us. We judge things as frustrating or bad because we see only a very small part of the picture. If we saw the whole picture, we would understand why things happen the way they do, and we would cease to judge them negatively. It is a very comforting thought. But is it true?
St. Porphyrios left school at the age of 12. However, his teachings are the kindest, wisest, and most poetic I have come across. Reading them always makes me feel very peaceful.
Of course, to really believe something, you have to experience it for yourself. There are methodologies for this.
When you lose faith in human things, then you either live in a constant state of low-level disappointment, or you decide to investigate those methodologies.
watashi-wa in the snow 