Monday, June 6, 2011

Pagan Values: Exercising Faith

"However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?" -Buddha

In my free time I like to study religions. I plan to one day be clergy and be able to guide people spiritually. I'm a strong believer that if you understand their faith, you understand the person. I have come across so many flaky people in my past that I wonder if there are many of us left who actually follow our faiths, and exercise them.

I once went to a nondenominational-Protestant Christian church.The pastor, who was one of the sweetest ones I've known, always mentioned how he did not want a church full of cereal. I thought this was funny as he went to explain that he did not want any fruits, nuts or flakes condemning the testimony of the church, the works of Christ; how he prayed that one day, the community of cereal would stop being so and become true followers of Christ, exercising their faith in Him and following His example.

I've noticed a lot of my own faith be that way, too. I am mostly Wiccan. I have no tradition, and am very ecclectic since all of my training was on my own time with my own resources, or borrowing resources from libraries and friends. I studied, HARD, and had to work to not become a member of the Wiccan cereal, dubbed "fluffybunny."

Faith is not smoke and mirrors, or just a few pretty words that you memorized. Faith is waking up in the morning, seeing a new day, watching the sunset, planting a garden, playing with your children, making a meal, and seeing the beauty and the magic and the blessing in everything. "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will." -Doreen Valiente, 1964 Following the creed, the rede, and putting it into practice, daily, in everything you do. Questioning everything, including your morals.

My value is to exercise my faith, my beliefs, my love for my gods, my love for the human race, each and every single day.

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