The Value of Faith,Unity & Trust

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

–Helen Keller

In pre-modern times, human beings used to live in scattered places and they were dispersed  all over the world. Oblivious of the existence of other societies living in far away lands, each community was living in isolation from each other. Of course this isolated way of living made sense at the time since resources were scarce and hostile groups could strike any time. By living this way they thought that they were protected. Contrary to their belief, their way of life caused various problems for them. They became easy prey, prone to constant attacks by hostile forces as well as wild animals.

Later on people realized the strength in living collectively and that they were safer living in close proximity to each other as that increased their chances of survival and calls for reinforcements.The value of unity to society/nation is not something that is being realized and appreciated now, it actually goes back many generations-maybe it goes back to the beginning of time.

Unity is an integral pillar that keeps people and nations cohesive. A nation that is not united is vulnerable to many forces. It can be easily manipulated and destabilized  by outside forces. Divided they can be easily disintegrated and played against each other. United they are strong and become a force that has to be reckoned with. There is a Somali proverb that says: “ Ilko wadajir bey wax ku gooyaan” literally translated it goes like this: “together the teeth can cut“. The moral of this proverb is that “unity is power”.

Nothing in life is steady. It is like a roller coaster. It has many highs and lows. Through the chaos and unpredictability of life the one thing that can save a person is faith. An individual that doesn’t have faith in something that is greater than him/her can’t simply function effectively. He/she may go with the follow in rosy times but when hard times come – and surely they will, that person will surely crumble emotionally.

True tests in life only come in challenging times. That is when you are emotionally challenged. That is when doubt creeps in your head and your judgment is clouded. You are outside your comfort zone. you are in an unfamiliar territory. At that moment uncertainty becomes the only constant in your life. This is the moment you come to grips with the frailty of being a mortal being. You realize that you can’t find answers and solutions for all the things that you seek to understand and solve.

Hence, this is the moment when faith in a higher power most likely comes to your rescue. If you are a person with faith you will have a better chance of tackling your problems in a balanced manner. You will be more resilient and be in a better position emotionally to manage the situation. You will be able to give your best shot at things and accept your limitations. Even if things don’t go according to your plan you will at least be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Trust also plays a major role in the development of a society. When people have trust in each other, in their leaders and in the system the society becomes more stable. I know trust is an intricate concept as it doesn’t automatically come to us. Like all other things in life, it needs balance and constant fine-tuning. Trust is not just given, it has to be earned. When individuals trust each other, communication becomes effective and straight forward. Similarly, when there is a mutual trust between couples, they tend to understand and cooperate with each other more and as result of that enjoy a healthy relationship.

A dear friend of mine once told me that “your personality is 50% of who you really are and the other 50% is what people think of you”. Today we are in an era where perception is everything. People judge you before they even set an eye on you. If your business and dealings are not honest and are perceived as not trustworthy then you simply lose face and get relegated to the recycle bin of history.Trust is a great facilitator of things. Where there is no trust, there is cynicism. Therefore, we should  try to trust but always trust with care!