Genesis story

It’s the Saturday morning of a Memorial Day weekend and I am woken up by the chime of my cell phone. My friend Jason has just shared with me a video of a Jesuit priest from Ireland talking about the Holy Trinity and the love experienced when we embrace the unique relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is a moving message and I felt inspired to share with my mother, a cradle Catholic.

This was an action I have performed many, many times before - observe something that speaks to me on a deeper level then send to loved ones because I want them to also take that same step closer to enlightenment. It’s not a push toward theology or dogma or belief system, but rather a welcoming hand meant to urge and provide comfort to someone unsure of the rocky path of life under his or her feet.

I find myself reflecting and thinking and studying more now than ever in my life, no doubt a byproduct of personal struggles that I am experiencing. It is uplifting and comforting to hold close The Word and The Truth as interpreted by theologians, studied by countless academics, and shared by laymen each and every day. I see examples of love all around me - in music, moments, readings, videos, an embrace, a warm smile. But it’s not always something I witness first hand - my friends and family thankfully share with me what moves them.

These activities of evangelism also remind me of the 6th Letter of Seneca - “You can’t imagine how much of an alteration I see each day bringing about in me. ‘Send me, too,’ you will be saying, ‘the things you’ve found so effectual.’ Indeed I desire to transfer every one of them to you; part of my joy in learning is that it puts me in a position to teach; nothing…will ever give me any pleasure if the knowledge is to be for my benefit alone…I shall mark the passages so that you can turn straight away to the words I approve and admire.”

And while I view the world through a Judeo-Christian lens (and believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), it is not absolute: messages of hope, love, inspiration, forgiveness, overcoming grief, “what the heck does this world mean?”, and “why are we here?” can be found in all religions, spiritualities, philosophies, and metaphysical teachings. I embrace that which helps me move one step closer to God.

I hope you feel inspired to learn, reflect, and share.