My sisters and I were raised Catholic. As adults, we have have diversified substantially and each have our own distinct view of the universe. My sister Lindsay and I probably represent the two extremes in our family. While I have embraced paganism, Buddhism and New Thought spirituality, Lindsay has become a devoted evangelical Christian. Interestingly, Lindsay and I discuss religion quite a lot. Despite our differences of opinion (and there are many), we have found substantial common ground and a mutual language that works for us. We agree on one major point: people of faith (and I mean every faith) have more than connects them than separates them. A person of faith has a view of the world that directly connects them to the Divine. A person of faith believes in their own personal responsibility to consistently align their behavior with their values. And a person of faith knows, really knows, that they don't have to do it alone.
I love how Marianne Williamson says it in A Return To Love:
"Faith isn't blind, it's visionary. Faith is believing that the universe is on our side, and the universe knows what it's doing. Faith is a psychological awareness of an unfolding force for good, constantly at work in all dimensions... Without faith, we're frantically trying to control what it is not our business to control, and fix what it is not in our power to fix. What we're trying to control is much better off without us, and what we're trying to fix can't be fixed by us anyway. Without faith, we're wasting time."Labels: a course in miracles, a return to love, catholic, christian, faith, family, Marianne Williamson, New Thought, religion, religious science, sisters, spirituality