Philosophy, Religion, Tao-te Ching, desire, education, ego, student, taoism, teaching 
Image Courtesy of Lumaxart
The idea of an after-life creates a schism within all human life that, necessarily, allows for a concept of conclusion that is always head-banging and cringing (if only for someone else) and, at all times, equally distressing at all times on all points for all beliefs.
Chekov, Karl Marx, Nabatov, Religion, St. Augustine, Thomas Jefferson, faith, god The other night my five year old daughter asked me who made God. The casual conversation as I helped Nora to bed usually consisted of our revisiting the day’s highlights and considering what’s ahead tomorrow. But this night Nora decided to abruptly up the anti, and I, knocked off balance for a moment, struggled to find a response.
Faith can come in very surprising, disparate forms. Last weekend, I witnessed a call to faith from two very different kinds of messengers, united by the shared desire to decrease cynicism among their respective audiences. The speakers- Conan O’Brien, and “Pastor Dan”, the head of one of the born-again churches that are increasing their presence in our area. While in their own way, both of their messages are commendable, I still feel the need to preface this praise with “while in their own way.” The reason for this, like, duh, is my protective layer of cynicism.
It is the day of year when people you walk around with on this earth, people you see and talk to, people who you smile at or sometimes just ignore, show up with ashes on their forehead. It is disconcerting to see normal people make such a blatant sign of one’s religious belief. In America we keep our religion under our shirts, not because we do not believe strongly, but because we fear to alienate others who may believe differently or because how people may misconceive certain religions. And yet I can not help feel a pride in the sign of the ash, not for what it symbolizes, though that is in itself significant, but how members of my community will humble themselves to become different for their faith. The penitential season of Lent reminds us of mortality and how brief it is in the face of time and tradition. It reminds us that we are not an end in ourselves, but part of a far bigger community sharing humanity. It reminds us that religion is not just a code of beliefs in sacred texts or ceremonies performed on Sundays, but a way to value what life means and how to interact with everything. It is a Wednesday thing. The very idea of being reminded of mortality by the people we share our days with is a gift they perform for us by practicing their faith in an outward and symbolic manner. By the ash we remember we die, and thus we remember that each person is alive and is deserving of the respect and dignity of our brief lives.
Want more Lunch Break? Please support us by signing up , telling your friends about LunchBreakBlog.com, becoming an advertiser, or making a donation to help keep our community growing.
