Growing in Grace: Strengthening Faith Beyond Arguments

 
Faith is a pilgrimage, a dynamic expansion of the soul's relationship to the divine, though too often it turns into a fortitude against critics, competing ideas, or personal uncertainty. What if we turned our attention from defending religion to improving it by means of practice, transparency, and love? We would be developing gracefully. Rooted in rich theological knowledge from Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and more general spiritual traditions, this approach promotes an inclusive path where faith grows outside of conflict. We foster a faith that welcomes difference and grows in humility by tending roots instead of creating walls. 
 
Theology across faiths presents religion as a dynamic process rather than a dogma to defend. In Christianity, grace—God's unearned love—is the ground upon which one grows. In Ephesians 4:15 Paul notes, "We will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Not by winning arguments; faith develops via grace into qualities like compassion. In John 15:5, Jesus's metaphor—"I am the vine; you are the branches... you will bear much fruit"—emphasizes fruitfulness above strength.  
 
The taqwa (God-consciousness) of Islam also exhorts development by dedication. For God likes those who do good; the Qur’an (3:134) honours those who "restrain anger and pardon people". Not in proving points; faith increases in actions of kindness. Beyond ego-driven conflicts, Buddhist practitioners are guided towards enlightenment by their prajna (knowledge) and karuna (compassion). The Dalai Lama's "My religion is kindness" captures faith reinforced by living, not debating. 

Hinduism provides a very different prism here. The divine is described in the Upanishads as Brahman, the limitless reality spreading across all. Declaring, "Tat tvam asi", "Thou art That", the Chandogya Upanishad (6.8.7) affirms that the ego (Atman) and Brahman are one. Faith then is about realising this oneness via sadhana (spiritual practice), not about defending a belief. Growing via bhakti (devotion) rather than fighting others, the Bhagavad Gita (12:13–14) praises the devotee who is "friendly and compassionate to all, free from attachment and ego." These customs invite us to strengthen religion by interacting with the divine and mankind rather than by isolating belief.  

Defensive behaviour frequently arises as a consequence of fear—of losing one's identity, of being questioned, or of the "other" dominating.  History shows this: the Crusades, Hindu-Muslim strife, or intra-faith strife like Vaishnava-Shaiva conflicts in India. Defining faith runs the danger of losing its core. "He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, to him I am never lost, nor is he lost to Me," the Gita (6:30) notes. As C.S. Lewis observed, defending religion may blind us to this omnipresence: "To love at all is to be vulnerable." Not rigidity, but openness is where faith grows. This also splits. A Christian disputing an atheist, a Muslim rejecting a Hindu, or a Hindu declaring sanatana dharma above other routes may "win", yet lose connection. While the Rig Veda (1.164.46) says, "Truth is one, though the wise call it by many names," the Qur’an (29:46) counsels ’polite conversation with "People of the Book". When faith turns into a weapon, it inhibits the grace born by listening and learning across borders.  

Grace, understood everywhere, is the divine gift allowing development. In Christianity, it's God's love freely given (Romans 3:24). Kripa, or heavenly grace, in Hinduism raises the soul towards emancipation. “Grace is achieved by submitting to the Lord with love," the Narada Bhakti Sutra (38) states. The nadar of Sikhism mirrors this, given to the modest. Grace invites us to tend to faith as a live gift; it pours without conditions.  

In Hindu philosophy, grace combines with effort. Surrender (sharanagati) exposes the heart to kripa; the Gita (18:66) encourages, "Abandon all duties and come to Me alone for refuge." Practices fostering its development are japa (chanting), dhyana (meditation), and seva (service). "Let your conduct be marked by love and compassion," the Taittiriya Upanishad (1.11) orders; trust grows indeed, not argument. Serving others, like in seva or Jesus' call (Matthew 25:35), roots us in the divine; Christianity's prayer, Islam's salat, and Hindu puja all do this as well.  

Inclusivity comes naturally. Grace does not have boundaries. Beyond caste or creed, the Gita (9:26) welcomes "a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water" provided with dedication. The Good Samaritan tale from Luke 10:25–37 celebrates the charity of an alien. A Hindu might find resonance in Christian forgiveness; a Muslim in bhakti's dedication; an agnostic in dharma's principles. Embracing these strands helps one to create a tapestry of togetherness, therefore strengthening faith.  

To strengthen faith, abandon the urge to be correct. Hindu gurus like Adi Shankara disputed but sought jnana (knowledge) via experience, not success. Doubt sharpens trust; Krishna patiently answers Arjuna's queries in the Gita rather than criticising. Give experience first priority; the vibration of a mantra, the tranquillity of a prayer, or the grandeur of nature confirms the divine beyond words. The self is not achieved by the weak nor by the argumentative, but by the one who tries with meditation, as the Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.3) states. 

Create bridges by means of interfaith communication, as demonstrated in the 1893 Chicago speech given by Swami Vivekananda. Not to convert but rather to connect, a Hindu may participate in a Sufi zikr; a Christian a kirtan Practice humility; the Isa Upanishad (6) advises, "He who sees all beings in himself and self in all beings knows no fear." Faith finds great vitality in this humility. Growing in grace builds resilience—faith anchored in Brahman or Christ weathers. Joy flows—freed from defending, we delight in the divine, as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.12) promises, “The knower of Brahman attains the highest.” Unity emerges—seeing all as Atman, we reflect Galatians 3:28: “You are all one.” Living this fact, saints like Ramakrishna, representing Hindu universality, or Kabir, mixing faiths, enhanced their faith by grace rather than reduced it by argument.  

Growing in grace trades the argument's sword for practice's plough, building all-including faith. Calling us to expand our divine link are Christian vines, Islamic taqwa, Hindu bhakti, and Buddhist compassion. Rooted in kripa, humility, and love, this road heals in a broken world. Growing with us, we reflect the One—Brahman, God, or the infinite—whose grace embraces every soul, beyond all boundaries.