Monday, July 30, 2012

Christianity Part 1

I'm reading a book that is challenging views I had on Christianity, and in a good way. The book I'm reading isn't written by a Christian speaker, Bible teacher or pastor. The book I'm reading is one woman's journey in search of herself, and God. The part I'm at now is the place where she finds God at a Buddhist temple in India. And yet, I am finding so many things I over looked in my own faith hidden within the pages of this woman's novel.
At the beginning of the book, it starts out when the main character is laying on her bathroom floor, and she talks to God for the first time. I was struck by the simplicity of her prayer, the way she called out to God and talked to Him like a friend.
"God? It's me, Liz."
Is it possible that we, as Christians, become wrapped up in fancy prayers with words like "Thou Art" and all these big fancy words that we forget the simplicity that I found as I read Liz's first prayer to God, the relationship?
And in the walls of the temple in India, as Liz prayed, and meditated and did whatever it is she did at that temple, I wondered if sometimes we take for granted our faith. As Christians, we go to church on Sunday and then we go about the rest of our lives, sometimes shrugging Jesus off like a coat, sometimes taking for granted the fact that we have access to Jesus and become so wrapped up in knowing He's there, and that He knows our thoughts, that we forget to work on the relationship.
Maybe I'm totally off here, but it got me thinking. Most other religions and faiths that I know of have a routine or a ritual. Meditation, hours devoted to pray or Bible readings, reciting Scriptures, whatever.
I'm just tired of people - myself included- becoming so complacent about Christianity and their faith, and just taking for granted we have a God who knows everything, who is everywhere, who made us all these wonderful promises and who loves us so incredibly.
Maybe this is only my view on things, and maybe it's not really like this. Maybe it's just my life, and the way I've been taking my faith for granted over this past little while. Living in Canada, I have so many privileges. I have the privilege to be able to choose my faith and to practice that.
When did it become just another part of my day? When did I start taking for granted that the Creator of the Universe wants me?!? When did I become so satisfied with the simple way things were I no longer wanted to dig deeper? When did Christianity just become something I thought about in the brief moments when I said a prayer before I fell asleep at night, or when I was sitting in Church for 2 hours on a Sunday morning?
I want to wake up, and become aware. I want more of a relationship, more of the God I love. I want to be active in my faith, letting it become more then a passing thought at the end of each day or week.
I want more.

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