Daily writing prompt

Do you practice religion?

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Have you ever noticed that whenever someone talks about God on television, the person being asked the question will almost EVERY time say “Oh, I’m not religious.”

In today’s society, it seems there is a growing perception that being “religious” takes individuals outside what is considered “normal” behavior. With a cultural shift towards secularism, personal freedom and scientific reasoning are now highly valued. Faith is like superstition.

When someone asks me that specific question, I tend to lean more into being a person of “faith” rather than being “religious”, as to me the latter term equates to organizations and specific actions coordinated by man while the former refers to believing in something (or someone) we cannot see, a personal relationship with Christ in my case. Although we cannot see the wind, we see its impact on our everyday world. Does that mean it’s outside “normal” behavior to believe in the wind?

Of course not, that’s silly. Everyone knows wind is real, but it seems more often today that expressing your faith or devotion to something bigger than yourself (and not science) is viewed with skepticism or even dismissed as being outdated. Not to mention if you have faith, there is an assumption you must be filled with intolerance and rigidity, completing glossing over the very diversity and richness that faith can bring to a person’s life and to their community.

As you can imagine if you know me well, my favorite personal form of worship on a daily basis tends to fall to music (and prayer of course). From Anberlin to Zach Williams, music with a message has always resonated with me, lifting me up when I’m feeling down and always reminding me that “with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

So yes, I believe in God.