A Catholic? I can't blame him for thinking about personal charity. In the past I had convinced myself if we could just force everyone to be more civil and responsible towards one another we could create Heaven on Earth. I was angry and bitter, constantly trying to reflect upon and resolve the issue of why the world is so unfair to many.
I was not spiritual at the time. I had slowly lost my faith over those years looking to mankind for the answers. Then I moved across the country with my growing family. I slowly regained level heading. It took me a year to realize how unhappy myself and the community I lived in was. We were folks who were constantly worried about controlling other's lives and thoughts. Expecting perfection from an imperfect world. Anyone who has lived in Portland long enough I believe can appreciate this feeling.
Alas, I slowly began to rekindle my spiritual fire. I started to remember all of those biblical lessons I learned during my K-5 Catholic schooling. Lessons I often used to challenge my own father, a self-proclaimed "righteous" and spiritual man. Verses and lessons which we cherry pick to get oneself out of an argument or onto the moral high ground. It's not the cherry picked lessons but the messaging as a whole that is of the most importance.
What I heard from Ernesto towards the end of this conversation took me back to that lost version of myself. A man so worried about others' actions or inactions that he's lost his faith. There is no Heaven here. Mankind should provide that promise to no one, yet so many today do.
Perfect timing to have watched the episode today as it ties into a link provided within an article from The Free Press.
A Catholic? I can't blame him for thinking about personal charity. In the past I had convinced myself if we could just force everyone to be more civil and responsible towards one another we could create Heaven on Earth. I was angry and bitter, constantly trying to reflect upon and resolve the issue of why the world is so unfair to many.
I was not spiritual at the time. I had slowly lost my faith over those years looking to mankind for the answers. Then I moved across the country with my growing family. I slowly regained level heading. It took me a year to realize how unhappy myself and the community I lived in was. We were folks who were constantly worried about controlling other's lives and thoughts. Expecting perfection from an imperfect world. Anyone who has lived in Portland long enough I believe can appreciate this feeling.
Alas, I slowly began to rekindle my spiritual fire. I started to remember all of those biblical lessons I learned during my K-5 Catholic schooling. Lessons I often used to challenge my own father, a self-proclaimed "righteous" and spiritual man. Verses and lessons which we cherry pick to get oneself out of an argument or onto the moral high ground. It's not the cherry picked lessons but the messaging as a whole that is of the most importance.
What I heard from Ernesto towards the end of this conversation took me back to that lost version of myself. A man so worried about others' actions or inactions that he's lost his faith. There is no Heaven here. Mankind should provide that promise to no one, yet so many today do.
Perfect timing to have watched the episode today as it ties into a link provided within an article from The Free Press.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email