… memories flood my mind at this time of the year. Mostly of cultural & religious rituals I grew up with.
Being marked with ash on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. Giving up some form of pleasure for the period of Lent. Waving palm fronds on Palm Sunday. Visiting churches on the night of Maundy Thursday. The “stations of the cross” on Good Friday. Family feasting on Easter Sunday.
I love the theatre of ritual but over time I became less and less staunch to the Catholic faith I was born into. Partly because I never really got the “suffer in this life for better positioning in the afterlife” philosophy. That just seemed disingenuous. (Actually, I began questioning the “exclusivity” of any faith when I was 9.) Nor did I ever grasp the notion that the suffering and execution of a man 2000 years ago “paid forward” the wages of our sin.
So, have I become a non-believer? The quick answer is… no.
I have come to believe that my life and work is my prayer. I believe that “sin” is any knowing act of hurt to an individual… including oneself. I believe that any act of compassion, no matter how simple, is divine. I believe in an almighty energy that we are all a part of and teachers such as Zoroaster, Isa, Muhammed and the Buddha (just to name a few) were imparting knowledge on how we can tap into that resource within ourselves and become co-creators of the wonderful in a very practical way.
I do not mock or chide the faith of others… including fervant non-belivers. They are walking their own path… as am I. Far be it for me to impose my beliefs on others as I think one should live one’s convictions not subject them on others… it is a personal and private matter.
So, Happy Easter & Passover to those of you celebrating. May the blessings you receive come from the blessings you give.