Faith, Religion, And Other Things That Keep Me Up At Night

I only have a few minutes before my lunch break, so this post might not be much longer than the title. I need to devote more time to posting, not because I think my thoughts ought to be read by the public, but rather because there are many things sloshing around in my brain, and I really need to process them out. Writing has always been the best way for me to do that, and this space often seems to be the easiest medium to do it. So bear with me. Or just skip this post altogether. Won't hurt my feelings, I promise! : )

Last night One Ring told me of a passage in a book she's reading by Sarah Vowell. The story is that a missionary in the early colonial days of our country went to talk to a tribe of Native Americans. Although they were very friendly to him, he would not be satisfied until he converted them to Christianity. Well, he told them the story of Jesus, and they sat and listened politely. Until he got to the part regarding the bodily resurrection. At that point, one of the Native Americans stood up and loudly proclaimed, "There is no way I'm going to believe that!"

And therein lies my (seemingly) eternal struggle, and one of the reasons I'm glad I don't do parish ministry any more. Simply put, I cannot believe that many - if any - of the stories in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures ever happened.

No problem, some might say, just look at them as myths - stories that are not historically or factually accurate, but point to a much larger "truth." But again, if even that truth does not match with the reality that I experience, what then? What does that make me, as a person, as a member of a church, and so forth?

Okay, Drink man just called and it's now officially lunch time. So I'm going to have to continue this when I get back. 'sides, this stuff needs to percolate some more.

Peace.