The Unspoken Contract

In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful.

The following are my musings on religion. Do not follow my interpretation of religion without doing your own investigation. You are a scientist and religion is your specialty. You are your own subject. You have a responsibility to research each topic thoroughly. I would recommend using the Qur’an as your source material.

Trust and a Baby
I was watching a series called “The Blacklist” and there is one particularly interesting character. In the scene she is being interviewed for the position of a nanny. She explains that she studied medicine but left the field once she realized she found cadavers very interesting. She decided it would be healthier to reorientate herself from the end of life to the beginning. She goes on to say their is no vocation more critical than raising a child. The interviewer asks her of her masters in childhood development to which she responds. “It’s my belief that one can’t be overqualified”

She is hired for the position. A few months later the mother asks her how many children she had raised and what her feelings were towards her charges. She says “I would have died for each and every one of them.”
To which the mother asks, “What must a child do to earn this eternal devotion of yours?”
She responds, “Not much. Take {this baby} for instance. We have a pact, she and I. Every time she takes a bottle from me or falls asleep in my arms she’s telling me that she trusts me completely. That is a profound gift. I would do anything to protect your baby.”

I had never thought of it that way. I feel there is a lot to be learned with having a child. As a father I realized that I love my children but I am not exactly sure why. It’s not earned and it’s not random. I thought it was a matter of responsibility but maybe trust plays a significant role.

A Believer’s Trust
This led me to reflect on how a true believer in God would act; similar to that child. Our life would be a lot more carefree. But it wouldn’t be the way a child doesn’t worry about their bike being stolen because they don’t have the experience to know otherwise. It’s not being naive. It’s an explicit trust that God is in control of all of everything. We trust God explicitly. So maybe locking your front door is more out of habit than concern. To have that unequivocal trust of a child but the logic, reasoning, and understanding of an adult. This is a powerful combinations.

As smart as a person may be, intelligence can often lead to second guessing, irrational fears, and inaction. To see too-many-possibilities bogs down the mind from action. If fear is removed and explicit trust is there – that you have a God overseeing and making sure everything will work out the way it’s supposed to; then we have the benefit of the mind with the peace of the soul. Two entities that often try to dominate one another.

So, as a believer, I need to remember that God is in control of everything and having the explicit trust of a child is like one of those Trust-Fall exercises. Except this should be happening with my whole life. God will not fail and who better to put your trust in than God.

Fear God Instead
I also wanted to quickly address fear. There are verses in the Qur’an that say to fear God or Fear God instead. I think I know realize what that is. It may mean that we have fear as humans. We have doubts and insecurities. It’s part of who we are. So what do we do with that fear? We fear God instead.

For example. You are worried that someone will comment and avoid praying in public. You fear a public outburst from the ignorant about Islam and terrorism. (Ironic since Islam is derived from the world peace (Salaam S-L-M) in Arabic Maybe it means the path of peace? I am not sure.) So you think, maybe I shouldn’t pray in public. But then the words “Fear me instead” or some similar variation enter your mind. By fearing God over people you have avoided placing a person’s opinion over God’s command. You have put your trust in God over a possibility that may never occur. You have replaced a “what if” with certainty. You have submitted your actions to the will of God.