It is obvious - as a Roman Catholic Deacon - I am a believer. I believe in God Almighty - I believe in Jesus Christ His son - I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus - I believe in the Holy Trinity. I also believe in people - people of God - who are believers - people of God - who are not believers. On my recent adventure in Spain - walking The Way of Saint James - with my wife - Arlene - we had the opportunity to meet and talk with many different people - who were very quick - to tell us - they were not religious - as if it was a bad thing if they were. Most claimed to be spiritual - acknowledging - a higher power - a force of the universe - something mystical. We detected in those conversations that many were not completely truthful - that they were religious - but were compelled to deny it - as if walking The Camino as a religious person made you a religious fanatic or worse. In everyday life - many people do the exact same thing - deny their religious life - their affiliation with organized religion - their spiritual side. It is a shame that in this day and age - belonging to a church is seen as a sign of weakness - or fanaticism.
Jesus came into this world that we might experience life to the fullest - He places no restriction on how we accomplish that. As a true believer - we are called to stand firm in our faith - in the face of those who would ridicule or belittle us for believeing. Jesus died - for you - for me - the least we can do is confess our belief in Him - just as He believes in us.
Deacon Dale
Finisterre, Spain - "The End of the World"
Deacon Dale
