True Religion

The headlines this week have been brutal.

A tornado devastates 20 miles in Oklahoma.

Men literally butcher a man in the streets of London while asking onlookers to video tape the event.

And Washington is weaving such a web of deceit that I fear for our country.

Our country.  The Country that was founded on 'In God we Trust'.

But the question is, who's God?  What God?

Not to be cliche, but will there ever be world peace?  In a world where religious freedom should be celebrated, we come face to face, on a daily basis, with the clash of these very freedoms.  Religions colliding in stomach churning fashion and what, may I ask, is gained?

People in Oklahoma, Sandy Hook and Boston pray to a God to help them through the dark days ahead.  They pray to a God that they most undoubtedly ask why?  Why did this happen to us, me, them?  And without the answer, they pray to him, to help them recover, rebuild and move on.  They pray that our God will keep the loved ones they lost safe and happy.  They pray that they too, will one day, be reunited with their loved ones.  And finally, they pray for forgiveness. The ABILITY to forgive those that may have caused this destruction.  The ABILITY to forgive the reason behind it, EVEN IF, that reason is another god.  But how do you forgive a person and/or religion that justifies killing innocent people?

I was in a store the other day and a man sneezed twice.  I automatically said, 'Bless you' to which I got no response. Nothing.  Not a nod. A 'thank you'. A 'kiss my ass'. Nada.  Now, I am not claiming to be a hero because I simply gave well wishes to a stranger, but it made me think, maybe 'my' blessings from what he thinks may be from 'my' god don't match up to 'his' god.  But regardless of what God you believe in, where is the common decency to acknowledge people?  Do you ever hold the door open for someone and they don't say thank you?  Don't you want to kick them in the ass?  Seriously.  COMMON DECENCY towards one another can go a long way.  Regardless of religion, race, sex, etc..  Being polite should not be biased.  But do we live in such a divided world that there is no common courtesy?  And if so, if it's this bad now, what is it going to be like in 20, 40, 60 years?  I may very well be gone, but I worry for my children, nieces, nephews and hopefully, grandchildren.  What kind of world will they live in?

My children get a little mad sometimes because we are not regular church goers.  Yet, when I suggest we go, I get the usual grumblings. We end up in a fight and I find myself thinking, a family feud is not what God had in mind for Sunday.  Instead, I think of my faith as a 'quiet faith'.  Do I believe in God, yes.  And how do I honor him?  It's really quite simple.  I try to be a decent human.  I try to live by the ten commandments.  Not let the seven sins control too much of my energy and I appreciate the simple pleasures in life that he has given us.  Have you ever watched a spider weave a web?  Or thought about the crazy transformation a catipillar takes to become a butterfly?  I look at these things and think, yes, there IS a greater being.  Man did not create this.  The way each and every living thing has a purpose on earth is nothing short of miraculous.  And so, I make 'my church' these things.  Not on Sunday, but every day.  I miss the music in my church but I hear the music of the birds, the squirrels rustling in the woods and most recently the cicadas.  They are all hymns, if you allow yourself to hear them.

So why are my simplified religious beliefs relevant?  Because the ten commandments are a constant between all religions.  There are various translations but, it is indeed used, not only in Christianity but, in Judaism and even Islam.  Now, I am not a theologist and I know there is a LOT more to the story but,  instead of focusing on the differences in our religions, should we maybe focus on the things we have in common?   Do we have the ABILITY to respect our differences and celebrate our common beliefs?  Do we have the ABILITY to acknowledge a stranger for an act of common courtesy or well wishes?  With all the bad news, couldn't we ALL use a little blessing from someone, even a stranger who may have different views whether it be religious, political or social?  Think about it.  Maybe it really is simpler than we make it.

Now, I have a pageant to get ready for so until next time....world peace.