There is a mother at my son's preschool I've been enjoying getting to know. She might even be my NBF. We'll be leaning up against the playground fence, chatting about God and "the meaning of life" as the boys burn up some energy after school. Inevitably, another mom will saunter up and immediately, we drop our conversation and become all....
"Is Janie going to camp this summer?"
and
"Oh heavens, little Billy has lost another mitten!"
I have another friend whom I've known since we were 15. That's 24 years for anyone who's counting. I know everything about her. But it wasn't 'til the last couple of years that spirituality even came up in our conversations. Isn't that interesting? Who her husband is having an affair with? I've got all the details. Her spiritual beliefs? Not so much.
Sitting in a yurt in the Colorado mountains, I join a group of Buddhists in prayer, not understanding the language they use but fulling understanding the feeling. The connection with the Divine.
I look at my own brother, a fundamentalist Christian, and I understand the feeling. He truly lives his faith. He respects his wife. He lives and breathes gentle kindness.
I deeply believe we are all connected and that the many paths lead to one Universal truth. Even the atheists. You're in there too. Do you ever go out in nature? Do you love your child? I understand that feeling too.
In the movie What Dreams May Come, there is a premise that whatever we believe to be true, is what we'll experience upon our death. If you believe in Satan and hell and purgatory, that is your own burden to carry. If you believe in a white puffy-cloud heaven with angels and puppy dogs, well, you'll be handed a harp.
A place where all can safely talk about what they believe, where people are more interested in learning from others than in convincing them of anything.
That's my idea of Heaven.
But shhh.....keep it on the down low.
We don't talk about stuff like that.
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14 comments:
Interesting, isn't it? I know people who would rather admit to drug addiction than discuss spirtual belief.
I suppose its one of the reasons I blog. It's a way to find people who like to talk about such things.
Ah, but drug addiction is also a spiritual quest.
At least it seems like it to me?
God, I don't feel connected with You, I can't stand not feeling connected, let me take something to hopefully make me feel connected or at the very least, numb the pain of the disconnected feeling.
I've found that the more comfortable I am with my own spirtiuality the more comfortable other people are when I mention it in everyday conversation. That old thing of if you're ok with it, others will be too.
Having worked in mental health I couldn't agree with you more on the drug addiction idea.
i'll gab about this with you anyday!!
There are also children's shows that might cause a speech delay
There are few people who you can have deep conversations with.
People have pre-concaved notions of what others believe in.
There negative about others paths.
I think drugs are used to numb real connections
Because reality is scary for many people
Opening up and being a real person
when we're supposed to be all alike "Who says" is scarry.
Well, I would rather talk about my spirituality than the "what's your opinion on MMR?" I usually get as an autism mum - I'm bored with that one!
"...where people are more interested in learning from others than in convincing them of anything."
I like that heaven and I know of so many folks I'll meet there.
I love your concept of heaven :) nice post
I don't know why that is? Why it's seems to be a hush-hush thing? Why some of us just don't discuss religion? It's like politics. (Well, I don't discuss politics. They bore me and always disappoint me.)
Why do we have to "hide" our beliefs? Are we ashamed? Every once in a while, I'll read that "we want to have the word 'God' out of public schools". Or something like that. It's their right not to hear it. What about our rights? People still smoke. Is it our right to have clean air? Isn't that the same thing? Smokers will smoke and it seemingly doesn't matter if it bothers someone else. (Maybe I'm opening a can of worms here...no offense to those who smoke.) I better go before I get into trouble. Good thing I'm virtual, which by the way, makes me "braver".
At least the small talk lady said, "Oh, heavens." (hee hee hee)
Speaking of observing the Buddhist practice in the yurt, if you get the chance to visit The Chapel in Akron try it (it's a Christian church).
Jenny,
When you come visit, I'll go to chapel with you.
XO
I love you and everything about you.
I love this post. This reminder of the movie 'What Dreams May Come.' Thank you for the gentle reminder. I am to watch it again and so thank you for bringing it forward for me.
Lo
btw 'found you thru Carrie's site and no longer lurking:)
laureleanderson.com
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