I have never doubted my faith. Raised in a traditional Catholic family by parents who lived what they believed, I always knew there was a God. As I got older, I went through the phases most of us go through. Questioning the doctrine, or what I perceived to the "rules and regulations" that made up the Catholic Church.
In college, and in my young adult life, I went from trying various churches and denominations, to not going to church at all. Marriage and children had me running back to the Church, wanting to instill the faith and value system I grew up with into my children.
I worked in Christian radio for 5 years before coming to my current job, and I was exposed not only to some of the greatest music in the world (next to country music of course) but also a great many faith-filled men and women. I was also exposed to more churches over those 5 years than I ever had been in my life. Not only the various denominations inside the umbrella of Christianity, but also non-denominational churches. And on this Easter Sunday morning, as I read the various scriptural accounts of the disciples of the events that happened on that Sunday over 2000 years ago, I reflect on the strength of my faith, and the weakness of my religion.
I think of the many sermons I've absorbed that were different interpretations of the very same passage. I think about the tolerance of one religion's stance on an issue and another's lack of tolerance on that same issue, and I smile and think "who has it right?". Could it be that this great God of ours has allowed there to be so many different paths to the same destination because He knows how different we all are? I think many of the men and women who think they have it all figured out will get to heaven and look over on the left, and see the Jew, the Methodist, the Pentecostal, the Charismatic, and the Orthodox, and then look to the right and see the Lutheran, the Catholic, and the Baptist; and ahead to the man or woman who never went to any church at all and say "Hmmm, they made it too!". And the Three Who Are One will just smile along with us, and impart the ultimate understanding to us all.
For me, today is a day to focus on those things that unite us. To reflect on the strength of my faith and on the weakness of my religion. And to ask for continued help on this journey I'm on. I don't know much, but I do know this: I believe the various accounts of what was written down and passed along through the ages. Because even through thousands of translations the message remains the same. I especially love the Easter passage of the women who ran to the tomb on Sunday morning and were greeted by the Angel who said:
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee: there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." Matthew 28: 5-7
The Easter Season begins today.
Happy Easter.
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