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I'm not going to argue with anyone about which religion (or lack thereof) is right or wrong; we all have our own opinions, and I believe in that. This is about my weekend, and how I've been thinking about it ever since.
One of the things I'm doing is taking my babies to a variety of worship services, both Christian and Non. I realize they are too young to appreciate what they are hearing, but I'm going now (when they are 9 months old) so I can become "better educated" myself and speak with some reasonable authority about what they are learning. We've got "godparents" for most of the different faiths (so my children can speak with someone who isn't me who they will hopefully have a life long relationship with), and my goal includes such things as "respect" for the different ways people find to worship a higher power. I do my best to find "something good" in each experience, even though I obviously *don't* agree with everything that is said every single time we go.
This weekend we went to the Mormon Church. My "favorite" thing about them is their absolute commitment to family in a very practical way. Part of their belief structure is that "family relationships are eternal", along with a realistic awareness that "while family can bring us our greatest joy, they can also be our greatest challenge." On a personal note, getting to spend eternity with some of my various family members has on more than one occasion sounded like the exact OPPOSITE of heaven, if you know what I mean, and so the discussion this last Sunday was very positive and enjoyable, especially as there was a "practical" view of the way everyone tries to live the ideal of being "good family" during the holiday season.
For me, who has not been on good terms for the last three years with the brother who is hosting Family Christmas, this was an amazing, positive, and perfectly timed discussion of what family means, the role that Pride plays in our relationships, and how to cope when people (including me) aren't Perfect. I'm still chewing on a lot of what was said; it was exactly what I think of when I want to go to services -- a time to reflect on the person I want to be, and how I can better achieve that goal.
And then we hit the Shepherd/Sheep parable, and my brain balked.
Sheep are stupid. I am *not* a Sheep.
Shepherds watch over their Sheep because Sheep provide food (mutton) and clothing (wool) and wealth. Sheep trust their Shepherds to take care of them, and a Shepherd will be "friends" with them right up until the Sheep becomes dinner.
"The Lord is My Shepherd" is a very famous source of comfort, but when your brain goes "practical" on you, it suddenly does not seem as "comforting" as it probably was when this was an agrarian society.
I do not find this comforting, and its probably pretty obvious I am missing the point (that the Sheep are treasured, and Shepherds take care of them). I don't really trust Shepherds, and yet, the lesson of "have faith in those who are called to Shepherd us, because even if they aren't perfect, they are called by God" is one of the oldest that Religious Authorities of all denominations have been preaching for thousands of years.
Trust them. Pray for them. Trust that God has a reason for everything, including their mistakes, because with Him, all things are possible. Its a tenet at some level of all faiths from Christian to Hindu; at some level, its comforting to "let go and let God" when you are blatantly NOT in control of other people.
And I understood why these very kind, very decent, very good people are still supporting the Leadership of this country. They don't think of the President as a messiah figure; they think of him as the Leader who, by virtue of the fact he is the current Leader, has been selected by God to take care of this country. They know that this country will have Good leaders and Bad leaders, but they trust that all things are working for a greater purpose, even if they don't understand it right now.
Honestly, the Baptists seem to believe the same thing now that I think about it. The Jehovah's will not participate in politics, while the Methodists seem to believe in a more "practical" Judge Them By Their Deeds thing.
I'm a liberal, so I guess I'm more of the School of Herding Cats. I will continue to attend worship services in the faiths I've selected, and I will do my best to help my children respect and understand others.
But I still don't like the Sheep thing, even if I am missing the point.
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