Commonality of Humanity

It’s amazing sometimes to sit with a retired minister of (choose your abrahamic faith). All these years I was under the impression that they had their act together – that they had all the answers and knew what life was all about. My eyebrows are raised in stock shock to recognize the complete opposite.

I have learned that these ex-ministers that I now call friend are just as human as I am.  It makes me wonder though, if my new-found surprise is merely for the fact that I’ve yet had the opportunity to encounter a conservative-evangelical minister? Most of the ministers I have befriended just in the past year are what I would assume the right-wing would call extreme liberal.

While they’re liberal enough to sit and have a conversation with me (a pagan) about all things general; ie: life, relationships – both intimate and work related, there are times when I wonder just how far we can take the conversation.  We haven’t really delved into the differences of faith choice.  What I do see that we have in common are the general slip-through commentary about a particular life-issue, in that what they may call Divine Providence, I call Universal Flow, or rather, Everything Is As It Should Be. It’s pretty cool that I can have that sense of ‘connection’ with a Christian, and not feel as though I’ve been judged, or that I’ve just blasphemed, or what have you.

My point here is to show that mingling with open-minded people in the interfaith world has left me the deep profound sense that we’re all human.  Each and every one of us has doubts and conflict – regarding our sense of self, sense of community, our sense of faith.

What helps us get through these times of strife is the human connection found only through sharing.  Sometimes I’m in the fold of my kindred pagans sharing, feeling a strong sense of oneness with my spiritual family.  Other times, I’m in the midst of people following a faith nowhere near my own, yet we still bond through the commonality of absurdity, laughter, sorrow, celebration, family, bills to pay and schedules to keep.

The bottom-line is: we all put our pants on one leg at time.  What makes it different is whether we choose to do the left leg first, or the right.  It matters not which one is first or last; the end effect is that we have our pants on.  Why banter about which way gets it done quicker or more efficiently, or even justly for that matter?  Remember that there are those who prefer to not wear pants at all.  If we all did that, then where would we be?