Religion

"Religion is not an escape from reality, but rather a genuine effort to make sense of what passes for reality and all that surrounds us.
"Religion is not the answer to the unknowable or the unfaceable or the unendurable; religion is what we do and what we are in the face of the unknowable, the unfaceable and the unendurable. It is a constant exercise in the making of sense first, and then of meaning." -- Peter T. Gomess, Preacher to Harvard University.

I once thought religion was an escape from reality. That church goers didn't have a true vision of the reality some must endure while undergoing trials and tribulations. That some churches preferred to spend $15 million on a church with three crosses. Or maybe $4 million on a parking deck.
But that was me looking from the outside in.
Now that I'm a member of a "mega-church" looking from the inside out gives me a better and truer perspective.
Most of us can't fathom the unknowable or the unfaceable or the unendurable.
But religion provides us a window into our souls.
It invokes sense and meaning to life.
Whenever we feel like God is alive in our lives, in our hearts and in our souls, then we can gain a glimpse of the significance of what our life can mean to others.
I have friends amongst the homeless, er houseless, who look up to me for what I documented.
They encourage me to write another article.
I can't be the chief spokes person right now because I'm blessed to have a humble place to lay my head down. I don't have to battle the elements and worry about my tent springing a leak during a rain storm.
And I don't have to worry about Pepe Le Pew, that pesky skunk, who once darted through my tent seeking some Doritos.
But I can awaken every morning and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for giving me some guidance and some sense of purpose and well-being.
We can face life's vicissitudes with a strong heart and a strong soul filled with God's grace and caring love.
Love your neighbors. Love your friends. And love God for giving us this life with charity for all.