Seems like I keep falling back on religion. Probably relative to my education as a folklorist. My PhD was in Occultism and Mythology, both of which relate to religion magnificently. Which is not to throw stones. Folklore is as real as truth can be. While both occultism and mythology are esoteric beliefs and practices, the same can be said of any religious faith.
The full spectrum of religious faiths is magnificent and touches a lot of ideological bases, Judeo-Christianity brings us down to some very reasonable concepts. My pninciple focus, when it comes to personal belief, boils down to Christianity. Another gigantic package of concepts as variable as believing you can a (L.D.S.) to believing your eternal existence will not be as a God but will be eternal. Much to consider but if we boil it down to the “red letters” (words attributed to Jesus), it all comes across as not only quite reasonable but actually doable.
The only certainty about religious concepts is that we cannot and will never know, while still here on Earth, the truth. Many claim to, but none actually do, “know this church is true.” The Bible tells us “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
As a much younger fellow I actually did have a great deal of faith. My parents were wise and carefully taught me that one doesn’t pray to be rich or to beat Brad Dennis in a game of basketball. Prayer is a much more serious and contemplative process. Still, by the time i was eight years old, I knew the the mustard seed scripture was misleading at best, and the true mystery of God and religion came into focus. Now, at the ripe old age of seventy-years, I’ve discovered that when it comes to inspiring action from God, prayer is inches away from worthless. Ninety percent of the time, whatever it is I’m praying for isn’t going to happen. Thus my prayers have been followed by people and critters I love desperately, dying. And massive examples like Rush Limbaugh suffering from cancer and being prayed for by millions of people with far greater faith than mine, yet he died. Not only removing a hero in many minds, but an actual deliverer of Godly principle. Millions of faithful prayers and “nope, sorry.”
On the other hand, I have experienced actual miracles, some of which seem absurd, such as having lost all of my fly-tying tools which I hadn’t used for years, but having experienced an accident which took from me my ability to be an EMT/paramedic, which I was, and left me restrained to a wheel chair. My thought was that I could make a living tying flies. I used to be one of the world’s greatest professional fly-tyers, running High Creek Anglers and tying flies by the hundreds. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my materials and equipment. I searched and searched till finally giving up. At this point I went to the only option left. I prayed! The next day a friend who’d been taking care of chickens on my yard came in with a box. “Bacon, I think you need to see this. I was feeding chickens when I heard this racket and this box had fallen from the rack.” Guess what was in the box. Yep, my fly-tying equipment and materials! How the good Lord chooses which prayers to answer, or if this was just ridiculous luck, I’ll never know, but there ya go!
All of which brings me back to the point of this article, which is: so what? We can ponder and wonder and scratch our itchy skulls, but based on the vast majority of historical feedback, we’ll never know. Whatever the truth may actually be, those who believe do have certain advantages.
For one thing, the believer is never alone! While my faith is weak in comparison to that of many I’ve known, I still talk to God. He never talks back, with one exception, and that one time, it was my own voice, in my own head, but it was a definite response to the question I was asking and well outside my inherent wisdom. Still, the point is I am never alone. When I find myself in the presence of no one, I almost always begin chatting at God, and feeling like he’s listening! Prayer also gives one a sense of control. Situations arise in which one can do nothing, nor have any actual affect, yet one can put in one’s word with God, who does have the power and capacity to do whatever he chooses. I don’t know what he’ll do, but knows what I’m hoping or fearing.
Another benefit is the words of Christ. The “Red Letters.” Guidelines for a good life. Instructions on how to live, treat others, and exercise our faith. The Red Letters house the transformative nature of Christianity. Inspiration to avoid bullying, lying, anger, and judgementalism. To engage in acts of kindness. Nothing weird here. No do not wear clothes of more than one material; No no one whose testicles are crushed…; No no praying with your head covered. Just simple wisdom. The red letters of Jesus are more than just words on a page; they are a call to action, a promise of hope, and a glimpse into the heart of God.
If you pass on and none of this turns out to be true, so what? The life you lived wss inspired.
~Bacon
ibaconi 