Digging deep into my faith

Growing up, attending Sunday school and bible study groups in the neighbourhood, I was sure that God cared about us, little children, and we would have these fun bible studies and play games. We also watched Christian videos with children singing at the Colby clubhouse, Kids praise and others. These made Chrsitianity so much fun. We learnt and recited bible verses and even had a dance group.

In secondary school, God was righteous and was to be revered and worshipped. But he was also cool, we had what I could call praise parties, then intense worship. Sometimes some of my school mates went overboard with the righteousness thing but I preferred the cool part so I stuck with it.

As I got older, God was portrayed as holy, in whose presence there was meant to be no sin. God would not shy away from judging whoever was found wanting. For me that judgment was done through his agents in church as examplified by people who worked in church. It was also the time when I saw that one or two girls who were slightly older had gotten pregnant. There was so much talking amongst mothers that it felt like the girls had committed the most unpardonable sin. God was somehow mirrored in that way to me at that stage of my life.

I went to church

Whenever I move to a new place, at some point I tend to look for a place of worship. These days that should not be so hard as there are churches at almost every corner. Well, it takes me time to settle in a church as I do not necessarily agree with every practice. I have to feel comfortable to some extent with what happens there and the church should be able to respond to my need for a church. Otherwise, no thanks.

 

I think I have spotted about five churches around the area I live, I spotted a Baptist church and decided to go there because from my knowledge of Baptist churches, they are somewhat conservative, which is my preference. A mix of everything is not bad but shouting gets to me. 

Uncoupling

The last thing he felt like doing was wearing someone else’s skin today. He stared at the face looking at him in the mirror. It was an image he had seen every morning before he went off to work. But today, his eyes lingered over each feature. Wide eyebrows, deep brown eyes that were framed by unusually long lashes, cheekbones that were so high his cheeks hollowed out noticeably. His mouth was full with lips that thrust forward in a natural boyish pout and his skin; it was a blemish free, a smooth dark complexion that shone with health. He was perfect; on the outside.

With a determined glint in his eyes, he swung away from the mirror and walked into his private study and locked the door after him. His sleek apple desktop waited for him on the polished mahogany table, its blueish light casting an eerie shadow around the dark room. He glanced at his watch. It was almost time. He sat down in front of the computer and with one click he signed in on skype.

Her face came into focus quickly, fair and beautiful as always. Her bare pinkish lips were the first thing his eyes settled on. Her light brown eyes crinkled with a smile when she saw him.

La raison d’être

2014 started not so long ago and as always, so many people started the year with New Year resolutions and high expectations but these do not last very long, do they? It is MAY already!

Loved ones may have passed on but we are still here. It cannot just be a fluke; there is a reason for your being alive still.

Do good

We come across different people in our life time. A group of these people could have particular missions in our lives and once that is done, they leave. Others come to remain in our lives forever and of course there are those who may not have our best interest at heart. But be good to all despite the kind of people you may come across.

It is also worth knowing when to let go. I remember this one time when I found myself in a situation where I refused to let go but held onto this friend. I was asked a question by another friend who is much older than I am. “If you have a dog that you love so much but despite your love for it, it bites you all the time, will you keep it?”

The search for truth

When we pray sometimes, we expect answers sent to us in a certain way, we pray with a fixed  mindset but it hardly works that way. Sometimes God comes through for us and in ways we don’t expect, it could be better than we thought or it could be painful, really painful. At other times, He may simply be saying not yet or this isn’t for you. But in all, God knows us and wants good for us so He won’t grant us evil to destroy us. We asked anyway, so He answers.

There are times I feel like God is so far away from me, but a friend of mine’s status message read a few days ago if God is far, who moved? He is the same, He hasn’t and will not change but we always do.

Now, do I sound like I am preaching? *Laughing to myself *

 

'Religion' is a sensitive issue and is generally not advised to be discussed in order not to stir up trouble, I am treading carefully and do not intend to offend anyone who reads this. If you have any misgivings about what I have written, please feel free to leave a comment.

 

The search for truth and a connection to spirituality leads people to believe in different things. Many of us are born and raised to know a certain belief, but as we grow older, we go on a quest to know more of what we want to believe in or not to believe in anything at all.

 

I am not sure if I want to be bothered with ‘religion’ as it is practiced today. I love God, I seek Him and His word is what guides me, and that for me is the essence of whatever/whoever anyone believes in.

From my observation, there is so much dogma with what people believe in and that has infiltrated the truth of what should be.

 

In Christianity, there are different sects/factions (what would be the most appropriate word): Methodists, Protestants, Catholics, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah witnesses and more. 

Sometimes, when people ask, are you a Christian and I say yes, the next question will be what exactly? Pentecostal, Catholic e.t.c? Why should that matter anyway? As I like to say, I am christian and that's it. The word Christian came about from people who acted like Jesus Christ so they were called Christians - Christ like. I would say the goal of being a Christian should be being like Jesus Christ.

We have created so many divisions in Christianity that I wonder sometimes if at a time when we all need to unite for whatever reason, we will be able to come together as one putting all the supposed sects/factions aside to achieve the goal that needs to be achieved.