What do you think about faith? Yours, others, what you see around you in terms of people trying to make the best of life?
Here in Cambridge, folks don't always like to talk about faith, but there's evidence of it everywhere. As I trek the two block walk between my apartment and the library, I see a smorgasbord of possibilities: my church, women and girls in all manner of Muslim head coverings, and several bumper stickers imploring us to COEXIST. There are rosaries hanging from rearview mirrors, necklaces with charms of crosses/Stars of David/astrological signs...the list goes on and on. I love living in a city like this, where people are so obviously looking for a way to connect with God. Again, we don't talk about it much, but it's revealed in our actions. That's interesting.
I was in Michael's Crafts the other day and bumped into a girl looking at charms along the bead wall. "What do you think of these?" she asked, showing me a set of three Hindu images. "I'm looking for something to put on a key chain," she explained, "something to help me be happy." I showed her my own key chain--a worn piece of canvas with "Maine" written out between two little embroidered moose--and said, "I know what you mean..." We talked about the risk of looking to trinkets to MAKE us happy, how that imbues them with an awful lot of unknown power. But how sometimes things remind us that we're capable of being happy (or focused, or accomplished). I don't know what she chose--I had to go--but it was fun to bump into a fellow searcher along the way, and to take a moment as I walked out to the parking lot to ask Jesus to take extra good care of her. She's on a faith journey. I think most of us are. In my experience, God is the best tour guide around.
How is faith going for you today? This weekend? What reminds you that you can be happy?
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4 comments:
What reminds to be happy is being grateful for all I have -- most of which is free!
Ok, one of the cars in my parking lot has the coexist bumper sticker on it and I've never stopped to look at it before.
I have a keychain of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber from Veggie Tales. When I look at it, I often can't help but smile. It's also a reminder to me that I don't need to take life so seriously all the time.
What reminds me to be happy is thinking a couple of days ago how much I would love to go and see The Merchant of Venice in Central Park, then my friend Laurie calling me yesterday to invite me to go with her because she is getting up at 4am to go stand in line for them!! It was a magical evening.
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