John told me the other day that God made people. Which He (God) just thought would be fun because He had all the parts hanging around, so why not! This is what Andre says, anyway.

John is getting his information from Andre because Matt and I have never told him much of anything. When I try to explain religion to him, I find myself qualifying everything. “There was once a man named Jesus, who had a lot of really great ideas, and some people think he was God’s son.” Some people think, some people believe, some people say.

The truth is, I’m not sure what I believe (despite being baptized, confirmed and married in the Episcopal church) so it’s difficult for me to give John definitive answers. It seems a little hypocritical for me to speak as if I know the truth, because the one thing I’m certain about is that I’m uncertain.

I do believe that the natural world is a magical, wonderful place, and we’re lucky that it works the way it does. I believe that after I die, some part of me (not a conscious part, but something) will remain part of the world, and that seems pleasant. I believe in right and wrong and the golden rule, because that just makes sense. I believe life is to be treasured. Those are all things that fit into just about every religion, as I understand them, but it only skims the surface.

I used to think that nobody else was sure either, and we were all just going to church because our parents told us to. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that many of my friends do have faith. They don’t all believe the same things, but they do believe. I think that must be comforting. Churches, temples and mosques all seem to provide a great sense of community and strong values.

I guess we’re going to have to find community elsewhere, and we live in a good place for that. Fortunately, a place where there isn’t any judgement about our churchgoing behavior (or lack thereof). But John is getting old enough to have some questions, and will need answers. He should at least understand what all the fuss is about. And if he decides that he wants to explore more, I’ll keep him company. I like the music, and who knows what else we may find.