Growing Up Without Religion

 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

John 20:29 (World English Bible)

Growing up as a kid in a household that didn’t go to church, the only training I received about Christianity were the Davey and Goliath Easter specials or when Linus would read the passage from Luke in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Religion wasn’t a focus for us.

In Grade 3 we were given a copy of the Gideon’s New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. I remember the little red book; it was like a rite of passage, because I got one like my sister did when she was in that grade. I’m pretty sure they stopped doing that not long afterwards, probably around the same time they also stopped saying the Lord’s Prayer in school.

So really, when I was growing up, the only comparison to God we had was Santa Claus. Don’t take that sacrilegiously or anything, we were kids, and that’s the closest we could think of. Here was someone who could see what you did all year, knew whether you were being good or bad even though you couldn’t see them, and if you were good rewarded you with something you wanted. I suppose that is a pretty simple comparison, easy enough for a child to understand. There would be talk on the playground of those who did and didn’t believe in Santa, and often  those who did believe had to keep it quiet.

Now that I think of it that can sometimes be another similarity with Christianity. You get the people who are very fanatical on both sides, arguing for and against the existence of God — not to mention all the different branches of Christianity — and those quietly believing in the middle who only want to share God’s love and not get involved in the fight.

There does come a time in your life when you have to argue for the existence of Santa Claus because the spirit of the jolly man once a year brings a lot of joy to people who otherwise wouldn’t have it. And that is rooted in faith.

Faith of that which you cannot see.

Just like our faith in Jesus. People who walked with him and saw his miracles sometimes doubted his faith, like how Thomas doubted in his resurrection even when he was standing right in front of him, hence the term “doubting Thomas.” We believe, and we have never seen him, so here we are blessed because we have this faith. Faith in this amazing person who loved us so deeply, he gave up his life to save us. He loves us so deeply that he heals us, restores us, gives us peace of mind that goes beyond all understanding. That is amazing love.

God is with us every moment of every day.

He lives in us, and in the spirit of all things kind and beautiful.

He lives in the hearts of the helpers, the hearts of the healers, in the hearts of the artists/creatives.

God loves us all, and lives in all of us; and I believe he wants us all to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be — not what other people expect us to be.

He is love. He is faith. He is joy, peace, kindness, hope. All things lovely and beautiful. Amen!