Journies with God

Sarah and I sat up late talking, which is rare because I'm not a late night soul, preferring the solitude of the sunrise, light washing away darkness and the joyful celebrations of birds singing as a new day begins.

Yet there we sit in the middle of a deep conversation about religion of all things.

Specifically, it was the Christian religion we discuss.

"I like your Christ," Gandhi said, "I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Right?

Sarah's chronicling an inventory of crazy beliefs, expectations, demands and condemnations from her Christian past that she's working through.

I've done the same thing and am nodding in agreement, asking "Where in the hell does that stuff come from?" while sharing my story of a deep, yet flippant, faith.

There's a magnet on our Fridge.

It's a man in a suit walking with a smile beside Jesus and asking, "Please Jesus me from your followers."

I believe good religion helps us to become who we are created to be.

Bad religion determines and defines who we are.

Good religion is a constant flow of creation in partnership with God.

Bad religion insists there's only one way of doing anything.

Good religion breaks us free from sin.

Bad religion mires us in it, leaving us scared and wounded until something holy happens.

Looking back on my life, I can see God reaching down from time to time, nudging me this way or that, orchestrating a divorce or two, proclaiming after decades of working with the poor, "Well done my good and faithful servant ... Go to the beach. Enjoy yourself! Have one on me!"

Faith, like life, is a journey and not a destination.

Journeys are created with God.

Destinations are often unforgiving dead ends.

It's a shame so many churches demand attendance or we risk condemnation, with destinations of either heaven or hell.

Me? I'm sitting on the back deck, listening to birds sing, watching the sun rise, caressing Sarah's hair as she sleeps and very much in prayerful appreciation that God has given us another day.

I wonder where we're going.
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Embracing peace in your life! “You are one of the most tormented people I know,” she said. I was at the height of success, living at the beach, working in a beautiful city, having everything I thought I wanted…but she was right. I was miserable and didn’t know why. Then I decided to take a journey inside of myself. Life is too short and I deserved to happily celebrate my life. As much as I wanted to lay the blame at the feet of others, it was my own fault and I needed to know why I prevented myself from enjoying my life. I needed to find peace. And I did. You can find yours.

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