Okay, I buy a book on the great religious texts of the world at the open air flea market at the antique mall in Orchard Park … pre-dating Huston Smith’s The Religions of Man, and the guy asks me what it’s about, adding his own commentary that for the most part (apart from idolatry) all religions are the same. I agreed, saying that wether it’s Jungian archytype stuff or just all humans sharing the same truth coming through different cultural expression. Wasn’t quite ready to spit out a discourse to a random audience, but wasn’;t ready at all for his out-of-nowhere comment, “So why don’t you teach people that?”

… uh …

But without skipping a beat, he started on about why do we have to fight each other over it all, preaching to this choir right here, and I simply said that religion also serves a social fucntion, namely that of identity, which by its nature requires contrast to other people outside a group. Merry tore me away to eventually buy a parasol jsut as he said he didn’t buy my final comment-with-an-almost-tongue-in-cheek-smile that “Religion is sort of a necessary evil.”

“So why don’t you teach people that?”

What do I beleive? I beleive people are often divine tools for communication. People say things all the time without realizing it, or are inappropriate or out of context yet dead on. In my prayer life, I haven’t percieved much direct feedback from the Da Ultimate Man, except reading my gifts, talents, and desires. So now I don’t think it’s really a “get off thine ass” situation as much as a gentle encouragement to not hesitate and get into the swing of it. Test the waters. If I fall, it’s not like Jesus isn’t ready to catch me and pull me back into the boat. I’ll finalize the ministry charter Sunday and send out the invites. Who wants to get them?