Faithfulness
Our discipline of hope needs directional guidance.
(Expected reading time: 5-7 minutes.)
Dear Brilliant Reader,
Let’s begin with another programming note: Starting today, I am going to organize these essays in the same structure as the individual patterns in A Pattern Language (APL). The 50th anniversary of the publication of the book is coming up in August of 2027. In honor of APL and its creators, I plan to publish 50 supplemental patterns between now and then, focusing on needs, issues, and resources that have arisen in the world since then. Through this work, I hope to connect with the wider community of people who treasure APL as a guide, like I do. I intend for this to become a shared and collective effort.
Since each of the APL patterns is embedded in a network of related precedents and successors, I will attempt to do the same in my work. Each of the APL patterns is numbered, 1 through 253; I will number my supplemental patterns starting with 501, as a nod toward the 50th anniversary. Thus, the new patterns will be numbered 501 through 550.
Thank you so much for encouraging me in this work! Here we go….
502. Faithfulness
. . . the Discipline of Hope (501) is not wishful thinking, and it does not occur in isolation. Practicing this discipline effectively, as part of a thriving community, is not just a matter of honoring the Life Cycle (26). We also need a more expansive understanding of how we stay connected to our own potential. Our hope needs directional guidance.
The Modern understanding of faith is severely constrained.
What does it mean to be faithful? In a religious context, we tend to think of faithfulness in terms of adhering to dogma - how well we have followed the rules. The other most common use of “faithfulness” relates to marital fidelity - whether or not we have cheated on our partner.
As more and more people identify themselves as spiritual but not religious, the dogmatic frame for understanding faithfulness becomes less relevant to our communities. And as more and more people choose to marry later in life, or not at all, the marital frame for understanding faithfulness - which is often incomplete to begin with - likewise becomes less immediately relevant to people’s lives.
But our need for faithfulness, as a condition for human thriving, has never been stronger or more profound than it is right now.
In 1946, Austrian psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl published Man’s Search for Meaning, documenting his experience of life and death in a Nazi concentration camp. Frankl’s work points the way toward a practice of faithfulness that can be informed by religion, but does not rely on it:
“Frankl searched for meaning and purpose in the smallest daily actions, like caring for a friend or saving a scrap of string that might be useful later. He also found long-term meaning and purpose in the idea of survival itself. He reminded himself continuously that surviving this hardship would be meaningful to his family and friends. They needed him to come back to them alive.” (Nir Eyal)
There is meaning and purpose available to all of us in every moment, individually and collectively, if we choose to see it. This choice to see can form the basis for an updated, Postmodern understanding of faithfulness.
If we are faithful to ourselves, we are choosing to see our own purpose in ways that honor us. We are staying connected with what truly matters to us as individual people. We are making choices to live according to those values we hold most dear.
If we are faithful to our relationships, to our family, friends, and loved ones, we are choosing to see the promise and potential of those who are important to us. We are actively encouraging them to fulfill their potential, and allowing them to encourage us in fulfilling ours.
If we are faithful to the world, we are choosing to see the larger purpose of our communities as places for creating shared meaning. We are making choices to care for our communities and the world that clear the way for us to realize our full collective potential, not just the potential of certain favored individuals or groups.
For a long time, American civil law has recognized what is called a fiduciary duty that people have toward the organizations they lead. If you are a CEO or a board member, you have a duty of care, and a duty of loyalty, toward the organization you serve. You must look out for the best interests of the organization, and you must not work against those best interests as you understand them.
How do we come to understand the best interests of any person, organization, or community? Through the practice of faithfulness. We must choose to see the truth of our potential, however inconvenient, and act on that truth to the best of our ability.
Therefore:
Make certain that people and communities have the opportunity to practice faithfulness freely and without structural constraint. Create places, experiences, and rituals for people of all ages to engage or reconnect with their own sense of purpose and meaning, both individually and collectively.
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An expansive view of faithfulness means a wider understanding of Holy Ground (66) and its importance in the community, detached from the enforcement of religious dogma. There are many other venues in which people and communities can define and support their purpose - Work Community (41), University as Marketplace (43), ideally The Family (75), and even the Beer Hall (90) . . .
Next time in Build Notes: An exploration of living wills for organizations.
I’ve started a new community radio show, Postcards from Jubilee Station, which uses these patterns to create a weekly story-based meditation practice. My intention is to help us envision what is waiting for us on the other side of this present moment. I hope to see you over there.
Yours in faithfulness, Michael