There are tons of religions out there. Like tons. You've got the basics: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Then you've got Atheism, Agnostic, Scientology, Methodist, Atheist Buddhist, Orthodox Judaism, Wicca, the list goes on. There tons of shades o grey. Some would say 50 or more. Today, my father and I were discussing relationships and God being a part of them. He went on to say that "God is everywhere, whether people admit it or not..." which stuck me as a very interesting statement. "whether people admit it or not."
We, as humans, try to shape things so that we understand them as best we can. It's one thing I love about humans, that we all hear one thing and each take something totally different away from the story. Cool, right? However, one thing I'd say about my father's interesting and totally valid statement is that maybe people don't need to "admit" God is in their lives. See, no matter what you believe, whether it be Christianity, or "Science vs. Religion," or Atheist, or "Spiritual, not religious," or Wicca, no matter what it is, there is this firm belief and trust that what you do believe is truth. Sure, you maybe open to others' opinions and hear what a person says, and maybe you do shape what you believe depending on how other people share their beliefs with you, but you have your beliefs and found a way to make it matter to you.
The beautiful thing about anything someone might believe is that it leads us to try to be the best person we can possibly be. Sure, some people label it as "God" or "Buddha" or "Energy" or "Earth" or "Science," we all believe that we are trying to live the best life we can. That, no matter what, we try to love each other, treat others as we would want to be treated, be good people. Love, laugh, learn, ask, respect, trust, so on. We try to handle tragedies the best we can and mourn the best we can and love the best we can and accept the best we can.
Some of that looks like the Dalai Lama, some of it looks like Jesus, or Martin Luther King Jr., or even your neighborhood librarian, or those Christians trying to save you from Hell and damnation from the street corner, or you classmate, or you parents, or your enemy. All trying to understand what they believe and trying to love and trying to respect.
What I would say about people "admitting God is in their lives" is that I believe they understand that, no matter what the belief, they are one, singular part. One, singular part who has the capability of making huge changes. Whether that be in the world, or just to make a person smile. Sure, there are people out there that don't understand "love" or "understanding," at least not the way you do. Sure, there are people who don't always think about their beliefs, but there is this inherent thing in all of us to try to be the best we know how to be. That's what we're trying to do. Does it always work out? No. Not nearly enough as we'd like (but, of course, is there ever enough?). But we reach for it. We try to hit it. We're still trying. We will go to our graves trying our hardest to understand, to love, to accept. No matter what, it takes a huge trust to believe something. Something that is likely to be a lifetime commitment. How beautiful that we hold that trust and try our utmost to share the beauty of love, understanding, trust (and so on) with the world!
Woo!
Mary Taylor
Christan protect Muslim protestors as they pray in Egypt. This image is very powerful to me and shows that there need not be barriers between religions.
We, as humans, try to shape things so that we understand them as best we can. It's one thing I love about humans, that we all hear one thing and each take something totally different away from the story. Cool, right? However, one thing I'd say about my father's interesting and totally valid statement is that maybe people don't need to "admit" God is in their lives. See, no matter what you believe, whether it be Christianity, or "Science vs. Religion," or Atheist, or "Spiritual, not religious," or Wicca, no matter what it is, there is this firm belief and trust that what you do believe is truth. Sure, you maybe open to others' opinions and hear what a person says, and maybe you do shape what you believe depending on how other people share their beliefs with you, but you have your beliefs and found a way to make it matter to you.
The beautiful thing about anything someone might believe is that it leads us to try to be the best person we can possibly be. Sure, some people label it as "God" or "Buddha" or "Energy" or "Earth" or "Science," we all believe that we are trying to live the best life we can. That, no matter what, we try to love each other, treat others as we would want to be treated, be good people. Love, laugh, learn, ask, respect, trust, so on. We try to handle tragedies the best we can and mourn the best we can and love the best we can and accept the best we can.
Some of that looks like the Dalai Lama, some of it looks like Jesus, or Martin Luther King Jr., or even your neighborhood librarian, or those Christians trying to save you from Hell and damnation from the street corner, or you classmate, or you parents, or your enemy. All trying to understand what they believe and trying to love and trying to respect.
What I would say about people "admitting God is in their lives" is that I believe they understand that, no matter what the belief, they are one, singular part. One, singular part who has the capability of making huge changes. Whether that be in the world, or just to make a person smile. Sure, there are people out there that don't understand "love" or "understanding," at least not the way you do. Sure, there are people who don't always think about their beliefs, but there is this inherent thing in all of us to try to be the best we know how to be. That's what we're trying to do. Does it always work out? No. Not nearly enough as we'd like (but, of course, is there ever enough?). But we reach for it. We try to hit it. We're still trying. We will go to our graves trying our hardest to understand, to love, to accept. No matter what, it takes a huge trust to believe something. Something that is likely to be a lifetime commitment. How beautiful that we hold that trust and try our utmost to share the beauty of love, understanding, trust (and so on) with the world!
Woo!
Mary Taylor
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