Dear Believer –
Do you like tough questions? What do I do when presented with tough questions? How do I respond when presented with tough questions? Where is worship in tough questions?
A “Secret Santa Worship Blog Day” Appetiser
If you were presented with this post of tough questions … what would you say … what would you think … how would you respond:
Nan’s Notebook: “Dear Believer”
In this safe-place for all, this place to be nurtured (not neutered) – how would you respond?
and Nan is warmly invited to any conversation in the comments.
Thank you –
Paul
As promised my own thoughts are this …
Hi Nan, the comments (I hope) are directed only to the video.
Because this video is so beautifully shot it is almost a work of art. I love the creativity, the energy, the beauty, the research, and the presentation. And I love the questions and statements – they are the sort not readily welcomed (in my experience) – the questions that start a fight – the ones which bring out the knee-jerk responses – the emotional responses.
Maybe because “Dear Believer” is an emotional statement. An emotional statement of “the questioned” and an emotional statement of “the questioner.”
I watched a beautiful emotional video with some loving questions. And I saw peace, I saw kindness, I saw gentleness – and you selected in such wondrous images. Thank you.
Now let’s talk “belief”.
There are billions of people in this world. I have fallen in love with one of them. I had no choice in the sex of the one I fell in love with, nor she me. Outside of that, I fell in love with someone who lived within my locality and life circles. That means I excluded zillions of others I never met. Does it mean I fell in love with the wrong person, that I should have fallen in love with someone in a different continent? One I will never meet, one I will never know, one I will only hear about through others?
Because I fell in love with someone I wanted to live with. To create life with. To have a family with. Just like (and unlike) every other family in my culture and locality. Just like (and unlike) every other love affair the world over. I don’t understand love. But I do know that it is much more than procreation and species survival.
Because I almost lost this unique and precious relationship.
That’s how I know it is much more than simply procreation and species survival. I know the pain of loss. And I also know this one single person is the one person who allows me to feel whole. Who allows me to feel safe. Who nurtures me by simply being the person they are – a person as incomplete and free and safe as I am – because I nurture them as they nurture me.
Is that science? Is that God? I just call all of it “Love”.
And I have found that Love connects – whereas religion sticks us together or tears us apart. I have found Love empowers – whereas religion so often diminishes and constricts. I have found that Love is stronger than death – and that religion so often kills love in the very name of love. I have found religion to be belief and not to be love.
So let’s stick with “belief” –
I believe this seat is solid, but science says it is nothing more than space and a few bits too small to see (but may change its mind about that again). I believe my computer will switch on when I press a button, but I do not know all the “why”s. I believe words will happen when I click a keyboard, but … (ditto). I believe the sun will come up tomorrow even if I cannot see if for cloud cover. And you know what? I believe you believe that as well.
And all of those are beliefs.
So if my “belief” is a belief called Christianity, and your “belief” is a belief called Atheism – then we already have much in common – so let’s not fall out.
But why stop there? Why stop at simply a belief structure? That isn’t living to its fullest. That will simply constrict and change and change and constrict. Why don’t we move on to Love and a question of my own:
Is Love a belief – and is Love something we can all share equally?
My answer? Whether “Love is Love” or “Love is a belief” – why would I want to waste time sniping “verbal bullets” of God-religious or Atheist-religious or anything quasi-religious when it is all just one belief factory?
Because beliefs change. Science-beliefs change, religious-beliefs change, opinion-beliefs change. So if we spend our lives sniping at each others changing beliefs from behind our changing own beliefs – isn’t that a bit weird?
Because what good does that do – to you or me or any of us? Just how does that allow Love to flourish – how does that allow any of us to flourish?
So would you allow me this one request:
Whatever your country, culture, era … whatever your name for “God” or “no God” or “maybe I am not sure god, God” or any other combo you can name … whatever your belief is called – try replacing it with:
“Love – unconditional love”, and now …
Let’s try and snipe at each other. Because one thing I do know for real – arguing about unconditional love is as demanding as unconditionally loving.
And Nan, if you hadn’t allowed me to connect with you and this video – I would never have known I even thought these words.
So Thank You – you have allowed me to flourish! I hope the flourishing is mutual 🙂
((hugs))
Church Set Free 