Statement of faith 6/8/14

So today was my confirmation day at my church, and we are a very very liberal church. Here is mine:

Um, so I don’t really know how to begin this, which makes sense since I’m 14 years old and think that it would be silly to come up with a final idea about faith at this point. I hope that this is really just the beginning of the thought process and that I’ll continue to think about this stuff over the years.  However, After all the preparation for this moment that going to this church has given me --two years of confirmation classes and lots of conversations, this is what I think is important so far.

1. Community.  Lots of people think that church supposed to be for religion and thinking about God, but it’s also for community, for hanging out with people who give time and effort to things like giving back and community service (and chili cook-offs and hat-making.)  Right now, the spiritual stuff isn’t very important to me, but the community stuff is. I get to sing and see my friends, and sometimes the sermons include things that are of interest to me, too.  I like to do the Youth Group events like Canobie Lake, laser tag, and sleep-ins, but also the service stuff like serving the Open Door dinner for the Natick Service Council.  And I think that even the pure fun stuff involves giving—we give our time, so do our parents, we hang out and connect. There is an underlying current that here is a group of people who come to this odd church with so many weird habits, and these people all are of like mind, and come here on their own accord. It’s got a great sense of community, with these people, many of whom I see only once a week. That’s important.  

2. God stuff.  I believe God is a spirit or energy— I don’t think that God is there to smite people when they do wrong. I don’t think there is a God at all. I believe that everything is connected, and everything has this spirit or energy or aura. Its a very Hippie belief, that everything gives off vibes, but I think its true. Anyway, I haven't figured out much about it yet, so lets move on.

3. Lastly, The Faith thing. I think that everyone needs to believe in something, something that they can blame when things go wrong. That belief keeps them sane, gives them a reason to stay in this world. People can believe in anything, from their family, to music to god. But its that belief that keeps them from sinking into insanity and oblivion. I found an example of this in my favourite book, The Fault in Our Stars. For those of you who haven't read it, its a cancer book thats so much more. "I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you." (Augustus Waters, The Fault in Our Stars) Augustus believed in his love with Hazel Grace, and thats what kept him from tumbling into the Despair.