This I Believe (circa Easter, 2010)
This Easter morning, before the chocolate rabbits come out of hiding, Paul and I will take inventory. In what do we really believe? …A literal Resurrection? Actual God-and-Man? Redemptive violence? An empty grave?
Two years ago Easter came to me all bittersweet. It felt like letting go of a loved one’s hand as the train pulls away. Last year I was angry at the messages being handed down to our little ones. This year, after a Winter of snow and depression, Easter finds me already awash in the arrival of Spring — fields of snowdrops; a blanket of crocuses spilling out from the doors of our local castle; the magnolias tight in the bud and waiting to open. In the midst of this earthy glory, the theology of Easter arrives as a late comer, tagging on the coat tails of a natural spectacle.
Every year Easter it comes out of its cocoon with wings of different shapes and colors. This year, I may have finally stopped trying to pin it to a board. This year, I’ve realized that I’ve developed a new practice – a practice of allowing Easter to be born again, to bring new flavors of belief, new forms of adoration. I doubt I shall ever be able to ascribe to a permanent creed. All I can say is this Easter morning I believe…
I Believe…
In a Source larger than myself which at its core is creative, healing, and restorative. I choose to call this Source God, though I recognize her by other names and have seen her in many incarnations. I believe in all the ways renewal, regeneration, and rebirth flow forth from this Source. I look eagerly to understand her better, and to live her life of creativity and renewal more completely.
I Believe…
In a man named Jesus whose tale has been carried, replicated, and expanded through many cultures and many eras. I believe in his habit of telling meaningful stories; bringing the outsider home; and being dangerously compassionate. To these I do aspire. I believe his Sermon on the Mount creates inside me a passion for justice, equity, and inclusion. I strive to live these in increasingly meaningful ways. I hear him in the mouth of a all the great teachers. I see him in a thousand faces. I try to reflect him back to others from my own.
I Believe…
In a guiding force which resides within each of us, sometimes called Spirit, who has made herself known to me as The Muse. I believe in her creative capacities, in her skills as a guide, and her residence in my intuition. I believe in her connection to God, and strive to align myself with her.
I Believe..
In community wherever it may be found. In dancing in the overlap. In everyday holiness. I believe in rites, rituals and worship which connect us to God – primal, traditional, and emerging. I believe in sacred spaces and thin spots. In inexplicable fore-knowing, sometimes called prophecy. I believe in an unending source of love, which translates into abundant acts of charity. In generous curiosity. In the high value of hospitality. In miracle, and whimsy. And above all, I believe in love.
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Writing your own creed is an excellent way to practice Standing in Your Own Power. If you pen one of your own and share it in the blogopshere, please leave us the link in the comments. What might be the opening lines of your creed, circa Easter 2010?
To see all the posts on Standing in Your Own Power, click here.
15 comments
Powerful food for thought.
Beautiful and inspiring. Thank you Rachelle.
Tara
[...] the Resurrection literal? What do we believe? Does it matter? Magpie Girl and her [...]
Interesting. I believe many things … certainly more than I can imagine or articulate. Alas, you’ve inspired me to write about this, despite the fact that I’d already made an Easter Sunday post. Here is my creed.
I’ve chosen a particular religion for my guiding path, but I love it because it doesn’t try to nail down answers for all of the great spiritual mysteries. I love the mystery. And I love this post because it illustrates a faith in goodness shared by a diverse spiritual population. I feel like a lot of different people can stand behind the core beliefs you’ve described. The danger of religion is that people so easily get caught up in the human aspect and draw dividing lines with it. In reality, so many of us share this core, and I wish more people would recognize that our underlying current is all flowing in the same direction. We’re just different branches of the same watershed, all trying to make our way toward one ocean of goodness.
Thank you for once again inspiring me to ponder the important things. I hope your family has a lovely & fulfilling Easter :)
Rachelle: I think this is my favorite Easter post…and apart from Easter, just one of my favorite articulations of belief, of faith, of meaning. Thank you.
And “dancing in the overlap?” Beautiful!
Gorgeous. Am so glad I found this post. Thank you for giving me much to think about and much to remember to be grateful for.
I love your creed. Every bit of it in fact. Dangerously so, you might say!
Thank you. I might be able to write mine by Pentecost… Right now, I feel spent.
This was wonderful and inspiring to read, particuarly since I’m a former Evangelical who now tries to “dance in the overlap” as you say. I don’t know when I’ll get my own creed written, but I’m going to set about writing one. :)
Well, it just ended up pouring out of me. Here is my creed: http://spiritualsemaphore.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/sacred-life-sunday-my-wandering-and-wondering-seekers-creed/
Thank you everyone, for being brave enough to speak your truth.
I’m on vacation right now. But when I get home I’m going to read each and everyone one of your powerful-seeking-wondering-confident-mysterious-rock-solid creeds.
With Love,
Your Magpie Girl
Thanks for putting into words what is in my heart. I love it when you do that!
Beautiful. This is just beautiful to read. Thank you!
Yours,
Megan
I was interested and surprised this Easter to discover that I didn’t want to read the Easter story to the kids (I did get the book out but just didn’t ‘want’ to read it so there it still sits) and I didn’t go to church – for whatever reason it just didn’t feel like anything to me this year…
This is beautiful Rachelle. I’ve written similar manifestos in the past, but the sands keep shifting and I think I need to do it again. Thanks for the inspiration.
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