Where does religion sit in your life?

This question was asked of me today. It is one that I have responded to often. Superficially. I thought that I could take the time to express it more meaningfully. For me.

It sits deep. Catholicism is in my roots. I was born, baptised, and confirmed in the church. It is the foundation for my morality and ethos. As I’ve grown up and older, it has served me less as I no longer think of myself as a theist. I think Jesus of Nazareth preached beautiful stories and have no doubts that the bible is packed with nuggets of truth. But, where are the women? Would a sentient, intelligent god discount half of the population or is that proof that the story and its use for controlling us is directly linked to the men who wrote it?

So, as someone who genuflected and made the sign of the cross thousands of times, I am left with the one concept that I still hold onto: The Holy Spirit.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is present in nature and in every living being. The gift for humans is the ability to think and feel and choose our actions based on what we know as truths.

This concept allows me to embrace all gods and all religions without judgement as to whose fairy tale is the truth.

If we all revere the sacred within ourselves and each other, we will live a good life. Even knowing that the ego will nudge in, or especially knowing that, we can take the teachings of all great religions and writings to form our own Holy Spirit with sacred intention.

So, while I don’t personally embrace religion anymore, I find joy in humans gathering in the pursuit of higher order and purpose.

Every day, I seek the Holy Spirit wherever I can find it or bring it.