A few weeks ago I was Reading from the Book of Ted, and it got me thinking about faith. I met Ted on Twitter, and we’ve become friends over the past few weeks. His blog is very intelligent, as is he, and the post I referenced got me thinking about faith: mine, and the subject in general, but mostly mine.

I e-mailed him and told him the post had got me thinking about these things, and he asked my thoughts (telling me it would probably make a good blog post – this guy is a genius!) and so I spilled it.

As it turns out, I think it would make a good blog post, so here it is:

I grew up in the Baptist church but never really connected with it.  The first time I got engaged I became a Methodist, which I liked.  Then I broke off the engagement, moved a few times, then ended up back in Oklahoma and went back to the old Methodist church to find it no longer suited me.  I accidentally stumbled on this amazing church that was meeting at the movie theatre at the mall and got completely hooked.  Before I left I was on the building committee and I taught Sunday school for 3-4 year olds, including running the music, and I was very involved in the singles community (and then ran off to Florida and got married).

The church was about more than going to services for me.  It was about involving myself in a community of like-minded people who were not only Christians, but also were ultimately seekers of God and seekers of faith.  The pastor taught about sex and marriage and finance from the pulpit, which was amazing and interesting to me.

I was also reading about other religions at that time, and meeting people who were on similar journeys of discovery.  I had lived in New York City for a while and met Buddhists and Muslims and Jews, the types of people I was never exposed to in Oklahoma.  I wondered how it could be that my narrow view of Christianity would not allow these amazing people to come to heaven with me.  I mean, the Bible says that only those who accept Christ as their savior go to heaven, right?  That didn’t sit right with me.

This church and the people in it allowed me the freedom to ask the questions, and to ponder how God and faith play out in every religion and community.  God isn’t necessarily in church – he’s in the trees, in math, in the hum of the wind through the car windows on the highway, in the face of a child.  He exists in every religion, but he goes by different names.  At least, that’s how I see it.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that “..faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  The first time I read that, all my preconceived ideas about how spirituality worked just fell away.

I think that proof of the existence of God is everywhere, and sometimes looking for Him just gets in the way of seeing Him.  I also realize that not everyone believes like I do, so that’s why I don’t get all preachy/converty.  I will talk about it if people ask, but I don’t pounce on people.

There is a song called called “What If” that goes like this:

What if you’re right? He was just another nice guy.
What if You’re right?
What if it’s true? They say the cross will only make a fool of you.
What if it’s true?

What if You jump? Just close your eyes.
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by suprise?
What if He’s more than enough?
What if it’s love?
—

And so what if?  What if you just decided, just for this one minute, this one day, this one month, to just BELIEVE.  What would happen?  How bad could it be?

That’s me.  Every day the question is, true or false?  And every day I choose to believe, because having faith in a higher power has never hurt me or led me in the wrong direction or failed me.  My life is richer because of my faith.  I can believe in all things magical and mystical and mysterious because if God can exist, what else can?