Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts

Monday, October 6, 2008

what i believe...






I have been putting this off for a long time because I really don't know what to say. I was thinking about doing research and coming up with something really intelligent, well-planned, and thought out. But that's really not my style. I am a think about it a little bit, procrastinate a lot, and then just get something out there because I have been putting it off for way too long. So here goes...

The things I read, the things I do, the jobs I have had, and the things I say have caused quite a few people to ask, "Are you religious or something?" How they get that I am not entirely sure. I use profanity freely, I shock people, and do some crazy and downright stupid things. I guess I do them with passion... so that passes. I don't like the term religious because I hope and feel that I am not religious. At all. Not in the least bit. The only thing I do religiously is check my facebook to see if people still like me. However I do have a great degree of faith.

I have faith that things will work out in the end, no matter how badly they are going now (which sometimes feeds into my laziness). I believe that there is a God out there and that He (or she, I think that God is gender-neutral but I have so conditioned to write He, I just can't break the habit... see Pavlov's dogs... woof woof!) cares for me a great deal, cares for you a great deal, cares for this planet and all thats on it a great deal, and cares an even greater deal for how we all interact together. I love this God. He is funny. I think His favorite style of humour is irony. Not always so funny for me, but normally I am able to laugh at it in hindsight. (I wish my hindsight could be my foresight... that would help things quite a bit) I see God as Jesus and most of the stories that are told about Him, I can go along with.

Some of the stories I don't necessarily disagree with, but I think we focus on the wrong things and make mountains out of mustard seeds, spiritually speaking. Man (woman too, but chances are due to how the world worked back then we can hold men more accountable) has gone and screwed up things completely. They were faced with situations, events, and ideas that were so impossible to explain they had no choice but to try and explain them. Why did they do that? I am not sure but we still do it today. We want to take care of these kinds of things. We need to solve the mysteries out there so that they don't scare us. We want them put into boxes (or systems as my friend Tim says) so we can put them on the shelf in the storage closet where it will never haunt us again. So we try and explain the things we can't possibly comprehend and so we do a piss-poor job of it and make things worse by hurting the people and the planet that get abused by the system put into place.

So without going into a huge song and dance about how religion is a system to explain spirituality and God and that it often fails horribly because of its intent, I will quickly close about the things I hold as important. I believe that because we are not the end all and be all of the universe we need to act like it. There is a God out there and the most important thing is to love Him and seek to know more about Him because your life will change for the better. It doesn't mean you will be happier or things will be easier. But things will be better. We need to love those who don't get love because they need it most. (its hard... i struggle at it... alot) This means the people who cut you off in traffic, the person at work you can't stand, or that unpopular loner at work/school. That if you are reading this you are most likely incredibly fortunate and well off by world standards and we have a responsibility to help those outside of our immeadiate circle. This includes people of whatever race, color, language, background, and religion. (and preferably while we do these things that we are not profiting for ourselves and enhancing our position). I believe that we need a little more discomfort in our lives in order to remind us of our position. There are all kinds of other things up in my head but I think the last one I will throw in is to be inspired by things and allow these things to push you into action and inspire others. So whether you like to sing, dance, paint, write, meditate, preach, give, run, work, or whatever... just do it. Fairly simple and not that deep but I actively seek out inspiration and it always makes me feel better and I have known it to help others.

PS... these pictures I find something inspiring about each of them even though they have a typically religious theme. Peace...

Monday, April 7, 2008

have a little faith in me...


joseph.in.blue, originally uploaded by impactmatt.

When you walk into the majority of Catholic churches you are usally surrounded in a sweet-smelling, comforting warmth. For some it may the deep spiritual bond and security one may feel as they step into the sanctuary, the home of their religious fervor. I think that it is literally the candles. When you need something in particular it seems as though lighting a candle in church helps...apparently. You drop your coin into the box ...(nothing is free... although technically I don't think you have to. I am not too sure how much time God has to count loose change. I mean I guess He has the time and the ability... He is God after all.)...so as I was saying, you drop your coin in the collection box, take a little stick, light the stick from a pre-existing flame, light your own candle, and then say your prayer.

Many protestants shun this kind of unnecessary ritual... God doesn't need a candle's help to see our prayers (He's got wicked cool night vision goggles!). There is something obviously beautiful to walk into a church and see rows and rows of flickering prayers, hopes, requests, dream, and thanksgivings. Yellow flames illuminate rainbow colored glass and equalizes the urgency and importance of the prayers and of the believers themselves. As the candles are lit from one common flame, all supplicants, rejoicers, mourners, and last-minute-end-of-the-line-hail-mary-full-of-gracers, are joined in their hope of a reply. Its beautiful. Its inspiring to see different people who don't know each other be mystically linked. To see that light and to feel the heat is a reminder that we are not alone in our struggle. That we are not alone and that there are others out there who feel the same.

I am trying to make a big decision. Column A or Column B? Left or right? Will I take door number 1 or door number 2? Both sides have their pros and cons. Either choice could probably work out. The tough part is that one of them may be a better choice and I am not sure which one it is. The advice from my friends... "Have faith that there is someone out there who is bigger than you are and that He has your best interests in mind. Have the faith to try and figure that out and the rest will go a lot smoother.

I better go light a candle.