Some days it’s a challenge to walk, with head up, and believe. Daily, religion is axed for its sad history and the way that man has toyed with religious intention…and in the name of religion; lives have been ruined, people have been killed, souls of children have been ripped out and lies have been rationalized to the ignorant. One can NEVER justify the mistakes of the past. For the record, I CAN NOT.
But I AM a RELIGIOUS being. Will you forgive ME the mistakes of the past…or even the present…of other RELIGIOUS beings…and stop attacking me, ridiculing me, mocking me, excluding me, rolling your eyes at me…will you respect my desire to connect with the intentions of my Lord? Will you trust me…the individual…just me…to do everything in my power to live a good life? Will you let me be as free to see the world from my own viewpoint as I will try to respect you with your views?
Who among you are Muslim? Who, Buddhist? Who, free-thinking new ager? Who, Catholic? Who, Protestant? Who, atheist? Who, agnostic? When I meet you, I do not ask what you believe. I embrace you…because this is what my particular religious beliefs tell me to do. I am Catholic. While I do not condone the mistakes and perversions of some who have led and taught and misguided in the Catholic church, I hold fast to the words of Jesus. He had none of these intentions for his people. Do not judge me for remaining in his love and his intention. Look at me. See me.
On the heart of everything that my priest-friend, Father Seamus O’Carroll OMI, believed and lived and hoped for, I need to go forward with my own beliefs and rise above the horrific mistakes of the past…the sins of the Residential Schools, the rattled knuckles and hurt knees of Catholic School students, the molestation of children, the inaction and lack of remorse from church leaders, the hypocrisy. I can not fathom that in today’s world, human beings have not learned from past mistakes. But this…this is not because of religion, this is because of human choice and free will. We are a sorry lot if we look at where that free will has taken us.! I want to serve God, love and mend.
Feed the Hungry. Clothe the Naked. Have Compassion. Care for the little ones. Give patience to the aged. Bring water to the thirsty. Care for one another.
Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons
Serve God, love me and mend
This is not the end
Lived unbruised, we are friends
And I’m sorry
I’m sorry
Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea and one on shore
My heart was never pure
And you know me
You know me
But man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing
Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be
There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be
Thank you for this entry, for the reminder of what Love is.
The fact that someone else claimed to believe the same things you believe, and made some mistakes… even did some evil, has nothing to do with you. Besides, we all have aspirations to levels that are beyond us… we all fail ourselves at times… How could that possibly speak badly for religion or those aspirations that we had…. ?
Thanks for the response…there are many who can not see the forest for the trees. I think the day I wrote this, I had felt vulnerable to judgement. Usually I have quite a backbone. I don’t like a feeling of defensiveness. In fact, that defensiveness is just what gets the collective into a stew. Since writing this, I feel calm and full of that peace that surpasses all understanding. Thank you for reading my missive. You are a kind and gentle friend.
Amen …