I Believe

What is faith? Complicated…

This post may be controversial, but I want to start with a disclaimer: I do not believe that anyone is wrong in their beliefs. Who truly knows what is right or ultimately true? We, as people, spend hours and days and months and years and lives arguing over what we will never know in this life. I find it frustrating. One of our biggest blessings as humans is our ability to think and see beyond what is right in front of us, yet it is also one of our biggest flaws. Instead of focusing on the beauty of what is around us and letting the unknown work its magic, we try to control and define it, creating walls and barriers between each other. I believe we are missing the point. We are all trying to make sense of this chaotic and crazy world we live in. At the end of the day, each of us is human; each of us exists on this planet with a unique life and story, regardless of what we have been taught to believe… and so much of what we believe depends on where we were born, whom we were raised by, and what stories we were told. Studying Sociology in college, I was asked to critically analyze these societal lessons fed to each of us. I have to wonder, if I was born in another time or in another place, would I believe the same things I believe today? The answer is a resounding no. We are influenced by the world and the people around us. Every fiber in our body was created from light and boundless energy, but our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are molded by the spaces that we fill and the people with whom we have interacted with. Therefore, everyone has a right to their own beliefs, opinions, and personal faith. We can never truly know someone else’s story. What we can do is listen to and accept people for who they are and where they are. Even if you conform to a specific religious code, you have a private, personal, and individual experience of your beliefs. Nobody can take that away from you.

I, personally, am still on the journey, searching for what I truly believe. In the past I have struggled with organized religion and with people throwing their dogma in my face, yet I have also found some of the most beautiful and genuine people within the church walls. My frame of reference is the Christian faith and story, but I do not hold this as the only one and ultimate truth. Some may argue that this negates my Christian upbringing, because a true Christian must believe fully in Christ, Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the one and only child of God. This is where my faith gets complicated. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe he is an important and influential character in the world’s collective history. I believe that his message of peace, love, forgiveness, and sacrifice is a profound, beautiful, and revealing truth. However, I do not believe that this is the one and only way to The Divine, or as I know it, God. If Jesus has taught me anything, it is that we are all in this together, regardless of our backgrounds. Who am I to tell someone that they are wrong when I have no idea if I am right? If I sat down with world leaders from all religious and spiritual backgrounds and was asked to defend one belief over another, I would be frozen solid and grow old in that space. How am I to know? Who am I to condemn or bless one over the other? I find that to be selfish and arrogant… and I am sorry if that is harsh. We should not demoralize someone, because they live a different life than ours or hold a different word in their hearts. We do not have to believe what they believe, but we should not tell them they are wrong. We are equally as likely to be on the wrong side of the table. All we can know, and should know, is that we are both trying to make it in this place and that journey comes with a lot of pain and sorrow but also with many blessings and joys. The message I stand behind is a message of love, acceptance, joy, laughter, and bliss. I stand behind a life that is genuine and aimed at making the world a better place. I stand behind people that lift others up and build strong communities. I stand behind people that stand up for what they believe to be right without knocking others down and out of their way. I believe we are all here for a reason, and I believe that all dogs go to heaven. I believe that love, forgiveness, acceptance, and an open heart are all we need in this place. I believe we are all uniquely made. I believe in a beautiful world and a beautiful people. I believe in us.