Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006

Hope


I'm not a religious person, and I can't remember a time when I ever was. I think it's because I think too much. And, I will rush to say before anyone gets twists in their knickers, that does NOT mean that I believe religious folks don't think. I'm not saying that in the slightest. What I mean is that I was, and am, always looking for concrete answers where there probably are none, and if I can't find an absolute conclusion, I'll worry at a question like "Does God exist?" as a dog with a bone and I just wind myself all up into a state of freaked-outedness. Therefore, with so many unanswerables present in most religions, I just tend to avoid them.

However, I do consider myself spiritual. I like churches and temples and most houses of worship, because they're infused with the peace and good energy of those who believe in the religion represented. Just because I'm not a Catholic doesn't mean that I'm not awed by the beautiful cathedrals or by the faith represented. I believe in a higher power, and karma, and Universal balance. And, while I may not give a specific name to the higher power I feel is present in my life, I can look at the bigger picture and relate the greater concepts to other religions and people.

For example: I have a very, very good friend who is a practicing Catholic. We've known each other since kindergarten, and we consider each other family. One summer, a few years ago, she and her mom made a trip to Vatican City, and she brought me back a set of beautiful amethyst rosary beads with a silver cross attached, and she said I could keep it in my car, to help keep me safe in a "have a blessing nearby" kind of way. Now, some folks might have gotten offended by her gesture, but I know her, and she knows me. By giving me this gift, she was essentially saying, "I love you and I wish you safe driving experiences." She wasn't trying to convert me or force her ideas on me, or turn me into a Catholic. She cares about me, and this is one of her ways of showing it. I can accept that for what it is, and appreciate the gesture even though I don't subscribe to the same belief structure.

And this, in large part, is why I celebrate Christmas. The story of the birth of Jesus is, at its heart, a story of hope. Hope itself is a non-religious, non-denominational concept. I can look at a nativity scene on someone's lawn or mantle and instead of seeing Mary and Joseph and Jesus and the Wise Men, I basically look past the names to see simple, hopeful people who have been granted their wish by the deity they believe in. And, in a society like ours, surrounded by humans in all of their, ah, glory and non-glory, sometimes hope is all we have to get us to tomorrow.

This is something I understand. So, while Christmas is based in a religious celebration, it is, at its heart, a human story. And the same could be said for the other winter holidays, too -- we simply have Christians in my family, so Christmas is what I grew up with.

With that, I wish everyone hope in 2007, no matter what your god's name is.

saturncat at 2:27 p.m.

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