6.1.5 Foundation Series: Essay 5
Related: Introduction to the Foundation Series · Essay 1 · Essay 2 · Essay 3 · Essay 4
Welcome
Faith has shaped how I learn, live, love, and lead. It guides how I meet people, the respect I strive to show across differences, and the courage I seek when my convictions are tested. More than a set of ideas, it is a lived practice rooted in family, humility, and reverence for culture. It is woven into who I am and forms my worldview, my relationships, and my sense of purpose.
My introduction to faith came naturally through my parents. As a child, Sundays meant attending Mass together, followed by family breakfasts where we reflected on the homily and the week ahead.
While religion was foundational in our home, what mattered most were the principles behind it. My mom often said, “Tolerance is not enough. When you merely tolerate someone, frustration builds and eventually it explodes.” She taught me to truly see people who view the world differently, to appreciate their uniqueness, and to stand firm in my beliefs without fear or judgment.
My dad offered a quiet wisdom: a good father does not love one child more than another. That conviction continues to shape how I see the world. On a planet of billions and thousands of faith traditions, I hold that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, regardless of one’s religion.
A Test of Faith in the Central Highlands of Indonesian West Papua
At nineteen, while trekking through the remote jungles of West Papua, I encountered a striking contrast. My expedition team was just me and seven native porters with whom I had grown very close after weeks of hiking in search of new mammal species. We emerged from the dense forest into a clearing where a modern house with a manicured lawn stood inside a traditional village. A missionary pastor greeted me warmly from his wraparound veranda and invited me up for lemonade.
When my chief porter, who had become like an older brother, and I started up the steps together, the pastor made it clear the invitation was only for me and forbade my porter from joining. Offended by the exclusion, I declined and ended the visit.
As I paused on the steps to retie my boots, he explained that he was there to convert the natives for their eternal salvation. From the base of his veranda, I looked over the village and saw what that meant in practice: families moved from woven walls and dirt floors to concrete rooms and tin roofs that trapped heat by day and turned cold at night. It was presented as progress. To me, it felt like erasing a living culture and calling it improvement.
Before we left, I said, “I believe the people God made here tens of thousands of years ago, and their ancestors, already have a place in heaven.” We returned to the jungle as a team, united in respect and dignity.
Bishop Al and a Different Kind of Faith
Thankfully, on my first journey to the same island a year earlier, I met Bishop Al, the incredible lifelong friend I mentioned in my first essay. Unlike the pastor I later met in the Central Highlands, he honored Asmat culture rather than seeking to replace it. He protected their stories and art. His faith looked like love, humility, curiosity, respect, and service. That witness changed me. It showed me a faith that walks alongside people, listens first, and serves without erasing identity. He set a very high bar for what a true missionary of God should represent.
Bishop Al never hid his faith; he professed it through actions and words every day. He admired and protected culture. He understood that conversation, not changing a people’s culture or confining it, was the truer path to discovery, faith, and God.
Reflection Point
Faith is not proven by how firmly we believe, but by how gently we live what we believe.
The Lesson: Faith Lives Where Love, Humility, and Reverence Meet
- Faith becomes credible when it looks like love in action.
- Humility keeps conviction from turning into control.
- Cultural reverence protects identity and invites deeper friendship.
- Listening first creates the trust that makes truth welcome.
Practical Takeaways
- Begin with dignity. When you step into another culture or viewpoint, ask what respect looks like for them.
- Practice double listening. Listen to the person in front of you and listen to your own heart for bias and fear.
- Hold conviction with open hands. Name what you believe, then ask a question that invites the other person to share.
- Seek mentors who model servant leadership. Learn from people whose faith protects rather than erases culture.
- Build rituals of reflection. A weekly walk, a short journal entry, or a moment of quiet can keep humility and gratitude alive.
Two Questions to Explore
- What core beliefs or values most shape your faith or worldview today?
- How do you engage people whose faith or beliefs differ from yours while protecting their dignity and your own integrity?
Further Resources
- Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions). A Vatican II document that emphasizes respect, shared dignity, and dialogue between faith traditions.
- Fratelli tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship). Pope Francis’ encyclical on building solidarity, friendship, and care across differences.
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). A key framework that protects indigenous identity, lifeways, and self-determination.
- Rethinking Cultural Competence: Shifting to Cultural Humility A concise, open-access article that argues for humility, reflection, and shared power in cross-cultural work.
- The Global Religious Landscape (Pew Research Center). A clear overview of global religious demographics, helpful for understanding faith in context.
Thank you for being part of my journey. May your faith move you toward deeper humility, stronger love, and greater reverence for the people and cultures around you.
Live. Lead. Love.
Billy
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Explore the Foundation Series · Essay 1 · Essay 2 · Essay 3 · Essay 4
Nice essay Billy!
Thank you, Gloria. I know faith is a deeply personal and sensitive subject, and I am grateful that you took the time to read the essay and found meaning in it.
Billy. You are a breath of fresh air in an often noisy, and seemingly chaotic world.
You have a beautiful way of expressing yourself, Billy. It’s a gift that needs to be heard.
Assumedly, sharing your thoughts, insights, experiences and perspective is permissible?
These messages are “spot on.” Bravo. 👏🏻🙏👍✌️
Jake
Thank you, Jake. That means a great deal to me. I’ve always hoped these essays might bring a little calm and reflection into the noise, so your words truly resonate. And yes, please feel free to share anything that speaks to you. I’d be honored.
Billy’s article, as always, is highly insightful.
First, respect is founded on equality. Some people believe themselves superior and enjoy criticizing or trying to change others, which often reflects a lack of respect.
Second, while faith comes in many forms and expressions, most religions or beliefs share similar core principles—such as teaching kindness, fostering humility, strengthening community bonds, and encouraging self-reflection and spiritual practice.
I believe that starting from a place of respect enables us to embrace people of different religions, regions, and cultures more fully, and in turn, allows us to gain their friendship.
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful perspective. I appreciate your kind words and the spirit of respect and openness in your comment. More importantly, I see you live this attitude each day. It’s heartening to see how faith and understanding can bring people together in such meaningful ways.
Once again, I enjoyed your real life story, Billy, along with your own concept of what faith means to you. Often this word (Faith) can be used superficially and without conviction. In your case, I can “feel” how very important it is in your writing and study of the subject.
Dad
Thank you, Dad. Your words mean more than you know. Faith has always been something I’ve seen most clearly in how you and Mom live, not just what you say. I’m grateful for the example you’ve both set, and for always being part of this journey with me.