Faith in humanity will save the day when other kinds of belief are not enough

I was raised in a home with Christian values. Even though my family didn’t always follow the straight and narrow, I was expected to attend church every Sunday. As I got older, however, my dedication to Christianity weakened. I questioned things more and concluded that I’m not certain about anything in the Bible and that for me to be dedicated, I need that certainty.

Nevertheless, I still managed to maintain some type of faith – faith in humanity. Yes, that down-to-your-bones warm feeling that we as a humans have an inherent drive to do what’s right and good. But lately I haven’t been feeling this faith at all.

We can all agree that 2017 has been wild, unexpected and even bleak. There have been mass shootings, weird things happening in the White House and that “Cash Me Outside” girl is now a recording artist. It has tested my faith in God and the world, and it all started with Trump’s presidency. His agenda and policies threaten the lives of many women and men, including me. From Trump to the recent surge of sexual misconduct allegations against people in power, it’s been a crushing reality for us all, even those with a strong sense of faith.

Our country has also been rocked by national tragedies such as the massacres in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs, Texas. It can be hard to believe in humanity when things like that happen. What makes these events worse is that they force us to realize that life is fleeting. What is faith without a little existential crisis? Well, not faith. Most religions, especially Christianity, tend to encourage believers to be blind in their faith.

They’re not expected to ask deeper, doubtful questions and when they do, people suggest their faith is weakening. But faith can be strengthened through learning. People question themselves and their faith throughout their lives, and that’s healthy.

Humans are complex, so things will never be static. Tragedies will happen, but I like to think there’s still some good in this world, no matter how tiny the amount may be. Seeing babies smile, playing with dogs, watching good deed videos on Facebook and the financial aid allowing me to attend this school remind me of that.

Whenever I find myself lacking in faith, I try to remember that I’m working to be a part of the bigger good in this world. If you find yourself in the same predicament as me, think of your end goal for college – think of love, think of your favorite latte at Starbucks. You may not know it, but the simple things remind us there is good everywhere, and that there is always a reason to believe.

Kay-Ann Henry is a freshman majoring in journalism.