When Faith Breaks: A Path Toward Healing

What Do We Do When Faith Itself Is Broken?

The foundation of safety is faith.
It is the anchor that gives us hope.

When something terrible happens a person can either gain faith, or lose faith.

But faith in what?

Children place faith in their mother and father.
People place faith in close friends.
Citizens place faith in their governments—to provide, to protect, to uphold justice.

Many place faith in God—Shiva, Jesus, a Guru, or some higher divine presence.
Some place faith in a divine order: Dharma, natural laws, Karma, or the intelligence of the cosmos.

Very few people place faith in their own inner divine Self—the presence that is always with them.

When faith in an external agent is broken, our very foundation collapses.
And then we are left asking: What do I hold on to now? Where is my safety?

Why Does Faith Break?

In moments of extreme grief or shock, the questions arise naturally:
Why did this happen to me? What did I do? Why do bad things happen to good people?

This deep anguish can shatter the heart. It may express itself as despair, confusion, or even anger. Often, that anger turns into rejection—of beliefs, of systems, of God itself.
How could God allow such injustice?

Similarly, when someone we deeply trusted betrays us or harms us, the impact can be devastating. The greater the trust, the deeper the wound. The more intense the trauma, the harder it becomes to heal.

In such moments, clarity is impossible. What is needed is loving support, reassurance, empathy, and gentle healing. Losing faith during tragedy is understandable—it is a human response.
And yet, when faith is lost, our inner ground disappears. Without faith, recovery itself becomes difficult. Faith is often what carries us through the darkness.

When Faith Is Externalized

When people lose faith, they often cannot see the bigger picture. In the immediacy of pain, the mind searches for a cause—someone or something to blame. Frequently, that blame falls on God.

“This injustice was caused by God. I no longer believe.”

This is a natural coping mechanism in trauma. But why does faith have to rest entirely outside us? Why must it depend solely on another person or a higher being?

Even if one were to set aside belief in God, do natural principles cease to exist?
If there is a natural calamity, do we blame nature?
If a good person develops cancer, or a child suffers, whom do we hold responsible?

Every day we witness injustice, suffering, and loss. The causes are complex and often unknowable.

Many people unconsciously believe that faith guarantees protection—that only good things will happen to those who believe, and bad things happen only to those who do not. But what happens when those who act unjustly appear successful, happy, and prosperous? When good people suffer while others thrive?

Faith in systems collapses—faith in governments, in people, in God. Everything seems to fall apart.

Can we live without faith at all?
Without faith in anyone—without faith even in ourselves or in a higher principle?
Would life not become mechanical, hollow, and deeply depressing?

So, What Is the Way Forward?

We must begin with faith in love itself.

Even in the darkest moments, compassion arises. People step forward with kindness, support, and care. Why not have faith that you are loved, supported, and held—especially when you are most vulnerable?

We must have faith in our family, in those close to us, and in the bonds that sustain us. Being there for one another is essential to our emotional and spiritual well-being.

Most importantly, we must have faith in ourselves.

Your inner being is always with you.
There is an inner strength that does not depend on external agencies.
A pure heart.
An inner wisdom that quietly guides you, even when the mind is shattered.

The mind may break—but it can be healed by the tender presence of the heart.
Have faith in your own Self.

Holding the Bigger Picture

Suffering is part of the human condition. The belief that tragedy happens only to others is an illusion—one that often breaks suddenly and painfully. Anything can happen, to anyone, at any time.

There is a larger picture that may span larger time cycles. Could it be from past life karma? Could it be past Karma of a person's forefathers? Could it be planetary influences, or negative energies of people or entities we cannot perceive or understand. We may never know the full cause behind our suffering.

That is precisely why faith matters.

Faith does not mean blind belief or denial of pain. It means trusting that there is an intelligence—call it the Supreme, the Divine, or cosmic order—that sees what we cannot.

I speak from personal experience. I, too, have endured deep trauma, much of it unknown to the world. Yet through turbulent times, I have held on to my faith in the Supreme. It has been my anchor.

Faith may break, but it can also evolve—moving from the external to the internal, from expectation to surrender, from belief to quiet trust.

And in that faith, healing begins.