REENTRY

Tell us about an experience you’ve had coming back to something — or someone — after time away. What changed in your absence? How did you change? What are the funny moments, faux pas, discomforts, and joys that came with returning to an old situation (or your pre-pandemic life) with new eyes?

I know God talk gets a bad read.

People think

“Oh! Here we go, another God freak“

but when it comes to re-entry, this has been my greatest challenge.

Was born and raised in an Irish Catholic home, where uncles and aunts joined the church; we had this beautiful leather bound bible[with the gold trim on the edges of the thinner that air pages];which sat on a wine-table in the front room for all to see; but never once opened.

I went to mass on Sundays; the stations of the cross; observed lent; ate fish on Fridays; put our pennies in the Trocaire box[ the collection box for the starving children in some part of Africa]; and believed the pope is God on earth.

I could never come to terms with the idea that i can be baptized at birth, with no knowledge of what it means and that would assure me my place in heaven, i could grown up into a white supremist; a black lives matter advocate; a racist; or bigot; a warmongerer; a criminal; thief; burglar; a bad husband; a narcissist; and I would still go to heaven.

How stupid was that!

I walked away from God, down The Path of The Prodigal Son, full of selfish self-centeredness. embracing the god of more, more, more, want, want, want, greed, greed, greed, self, self, self.

40 years later , I find myself married to a good woman who is an Buddhist and an active one at that. we have two children ,Bow is introducing our children to her faith and she challenges me to introduce them to the faith of my ancestors.

taking up this challenge I return to the fold of what is the RC church, I have both my children baptized; accepting that my innards are not happy with this whole process; wanting my children to know God; but within myself feeling this is not exactly wrong, but definitely not exactly right.

attending a Christmas pageant with my children over the coming years, I am introduced to a new way of knowing god and it resonates with me. For the first time in my life, there is an urge within me to know God personally. But then I face my next challenge; being an Irish Catholics; the English non-Catholics are the forces of evil; they are satanic [ or so I have always bought into].

But the new truth is roman catholic church is like the Pharisees of the Bible, their need to be in charge, in control, promoting the worship of idols, statues, saints, clergy and the church rather than Christ Yeshusa as being the only way.

Learning one needed to be baptized by the Holy Spirit and what that meant would give meaning and understanding to my personal awakening.

It was suggested to read the bible [I never had] from start to finish, and as I worked through it , especially the Old Testament, google the facts, people, places and things recorded in it ,to see if they were real or not. Not to take the word of others, but to see for myself whether the bible was a book of lies or a book of truth.

It was only them that i would be truly ready to re-enter into a personal relationship with God, through his son Christ Yeshua abiding in me and my striving to be led by the Holy Spirit ,for all of my days.