FAITH and WORSHIP

I am not a religious person. In fact, I grew up with two scientist parents who, through their scientific example, led me to believe that organized religion was a force of evil and corruption in this world; that the Church exists solely for moneymaking purposes; that religious people are merely afraid of death. Though my rational mind defended their reasoning, my gut told me something different. I was always envious of religious people. How comforting it seemed to believe in God, to know that you are never alone, that you will be forgiven, that when you do eventually die (which is indeed a scary thing), you will go to a better place. This feeling in my gut was strange and incalculable and I carried it around with me, not really understanding it, for many years. Until I came to Cape Town and started working at the Ark, that is – then I began to understand it.

The Ark, City of Refuge is a homeless shelter and rehabilitation center for those who have no other option. Not only does the Ark house you a feed you, they also teach you skills – carpentry, sewing, Microsoft Word and Excel – so that when you leave, you are marketable in the work force and can support yourself. Currently it supports 800 residents.

I came to the Ark to help a friend with a fascinating project she had in mind: Humans of the Ark. Based on the famous Humans of New York, this project would publish photographs and interviews of Ark residents telling their stories to give the organization’s website a more human feel, a more personal touch. Who can help but donate after listening to these amazing stories of struggle and deliverance? We sincerely hope that our project will make a difference.

I was wary about volunteering at the Ark initially because it was a Christian, faith-based organization. My parent’s influence on my beliefs is still considerable. But upon arriving, I felt a sense of peace and tranquility – of happiness – and I knew I had come to the right place.

I’ve listened to several stories since I first came to the Ark, and all of them have one common theme: unshaking, unwavering faith. The stories usually begin with struggle and strife – we have interviewed women from the Single Mother’s home, the orphan’s house, people emerging from the New Jerusalem Drug and Alcohol Rehab facility. None of these stories are happy. But then, once the storyteller reaches the Ark and accepts God and Jesus into their life, they feel renewed, hopeful, and powerful. They go back to school. They make money and support themselves. They get clean and start families. They praise God and thank Him for their strength and patience and resilience.

I realized then what that feeling in my gut had been trying to tell me all along. Religion is not a hoax, but it is also not the source of deliverance for the people at the Ark that I have spoken with. Instead, it is faith that has changed these lives, independent of any organized religion. You may worship God or Krishna or Mohammad, anyone you like, but these are merely symbols. What you really worship is the qualities these symbols represent – like strength, patience, and resilience. You pray for these qualities to reflect in your actions, and if you believe that they will, they do. Only we have the power to produce change within ourselves. Thus faith gives you strength.

With this understanding, perhaps I can have some faith now too, although I doubt I will ever have a religion. It is a strange and humbling experience, to be simultaneously proved right in one sense and proved wrong in another. My skepticism has been overturned, and my gut feeling has been reaffirmed. My faith lies in the Ark, and the qualities it represents: hope, compassion, forgiveness and empowerment. I now look forward to every Wednesday when I can return to hear more stories, learn more lessons and absorb more wisdom. The Ark is a truly beautiful place that has, quite unexpectedly and quite unconventionally, restored my faith in humanity’s goodness.