Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Relative Belief

Will I raise my child to be able to choose whatever religion fits her best? No. I could do that if I didn't believe my beliefs are true, but then they wouldn't be my beliefs. I don't believe they are true just for me and for someone else there is another reality any more than I believe gravity is different for different people. Now the way people approach their faith practices may be different. Completely open to lots of different ways to connect to God. And I don't think that our little minds have God figured out. I also don't think we have physics figured out. We are doing the best we can with both mysteries. So, I will teach my child that there is a God who is big and mysterious and loving and people have been trying to understand what that means and have even written down some of that figuring out and we can read about their stories in the bible and writings from theologians and stories from different people. I look forward to continuing to unpack the mystery with her.

Monday, September 13, 2010

New Life

My daughter is just over 16 weeks old, and in the past 3 1/2 months I have read more books on parenting and education than on theology, so I haven't been posting. But when I think back I have thought about theology, just in a different way. Having a new baby in my arms is so hard to describe. I feel like I have participated with God in creating a new life in a very real way. I feel vulnerable because I never thought I could love anyone this much. I feel like I'm looking at myself and getting a picture into a part of my life in which I have no memory. As I watch her grow I wonder who she is and feel privileged to be able to participate in the unfolding of her life. Wow. She is developing right before me. I am truly blessed. I am truly scared. I am truly exciting.

More to come.