What Do You Believe?

What Do You Believe?

PBS used to do a series called “I Believe.”

It wasn’t faith based at all it was simply asking people what they believe, what is the core or who you are?

Someone got the CD set for me when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

My favorite was a woman who believed weddings are optional, memorial services mandatory.

As a 10 year old girl, her teacher died and she wanted to say goodbye.

Her parents, wanting to teach her a life lesson, said they would drop her off and wait outside.

She went into the service complete with a casket and all that scary stuff.

She sat in the pew for the whole service alone.

She was the only 10 year old in the room.

After the service every family member came up to find out who she was and thank her for honoring their mother (her teacher) by coming to the service.

When both my parents died, I remember who came to the service. I looked around and saw friends of mine, people who really didn’t know my parents well but came to support me. I saw people I’d grown up with, teachers, church friends and lots of folks I didn’t know.

But I remember them being there.

Weddings are important but these days more than half end in divorce. With a memorial service there’s no repeat performance.

It’s a one time shot and you being in the audience may be pivotal to the healing of those left behind.

At an Easter Service yesterday the pastor put up a slide with a line from one of my favorites  CS Lewis. It said “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

For me I might change the word Christianity to just Christ. I’m not a big follower of a religion but I’m a huge fan of the man who shines his light on the darkness of this world so that you and I can live in it but not be gripped in fear by it.

I think that belief would be one of my core beliefs.

My other would be everyone has a voice and should be able to use it, even if I don’t agree.

Oh, I will argue with you and I won’t put up with name calling, slander or lying. I’ll let you speak but when the comments become less about enlightening and more about control, I hit the block button. Oh, yeh it’s my page, my purgative.

Light is the enemy of darkness.

Truth tattles on lies.

Fear brings on more evil.

And peace is the result of a savior who came to set you and me free.

The sun has risen….and so did the son.

How do we know? The light…it’s all about that discerning light given to us, not by the world but by our creator.