Cross my heart...

Good Friday... I wonder who came up with that name. Why is it good? Was it because Jesus sacrificed himself for the good of humankind? Sounds a little jovial for a day that is usually reflected more sorrowfully in the liturgies and observed as a day of fast and abstinence by Catholics (such as myself). Last night I was browsing through the Friendster forums and came upon a topic that interested me. It began with a Muslim chap posting a few verses from the Gospels and claiming that Jesus was prophesising the coming of the Prophet Muhammad. Obviously, this topic received many replies which were both interesting and informative. It was obvious though that the verses used were not prophesising the coming of Muhammad but instead the pouring out of the Holy Spirit unto believers.

I find it interesting that although we can look at all the facts, in the end, it is difficult to disprove any of the major religions of the world. We have reached an era where almost everything can be proven and scientifically explained. However with all the knowledge we have (such as being able to know when men first appeared, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and so on), we are still unable to determine which religion is the "correct" religion (for want of a better word). Why is it that humans have religion? What is it that makes people believe in something that cannot be seen? The most common analogy to answer this question is the analogy of air. We do not see it but we know it is there. However faith in God is different. For most of us, we can't see it. Some can't feel it. How do you justify something that cannot present itself except through books and words? Yes, the spiritual can spend weeks arguing their case. However, no matter how much one explains about a particular religion, it is faith that ultimately pushes a person into accepting a particular religion. You can argue that some people are forced to accept religion by birth. In this case however, the faith of the person can be determined by the adherence of that individual to their religion by birth when he or she reaches an age whereby he or she can make logical, informed decisions and be able to think in such a way. Faith is a very special thing. It is something some people are willing to die for. In fact, most people dedicate their whole lives to faith. I'm not talking about priests and clergymen here. What I'm talking about is normal everyday humans such as you and I. Most religions teach paths to follow to achieve the ultimate goal of humans (i.e. to reach Heaven, Nirvana or whatever). These paths tend to promote certain types of behaviour and warn against other types of behaviour. These paths guide and structure our lives and the way we interact with others. Isn't it amazing that people who have faith can live a life guided by rules and restrictions that others without faith would not think twice about? Faith is something that cannot be matched by any other form of trust. All other forms of trust are usually short term or only applicable in certain situations in life. Faith on the other hand puts trust in a belief encompassing all aspects of a person's life.

Why do I believe in God? Why do I have faith? I was born a Catholic. My parents brought my brother and I to Church every Sunday and enrolled us into Sunday School and taught us to live a proper life. Was that the reason I chose to believe? Well, although it had a strong impact on shaping my life, I must say that the bulk of my faith comes from God Himself. It was only in my teenage years that God really began to play a major part in my life. Yes, I prayed every day when I was young. However as I grew older, it became obvious that my prayers were being answered every time, even if it was not directly. I felt a closeness to Him I never felt before. There are so many instances I can look back on where he pulled me back and preserved me from doing something I would regret. There were also times where he let me make a mistake so that I would eventually learn from it and change for the better. Seeing is believing. I may not have seen God Himself with my own eyes, but I see Him in everything I do in my life. I really cannot explain it. It is something so surreal yet so strong. Many people live their lives for themselves and enjoy every moment of it. They look at people like me and laugh at our restrictive lives. I do not at all believe my life is restrictive. In fact, I feel free. The freedom you get with trusting your life with someone so magnificent and caring and infinite is overwhelming. My strength comes from my faith. Faith is what guides me and will continue to guide me every day, hour, minute, second and for all eternity in my journey through life and beyond...