As I have gotten back into attending church, I ponder the connections and disconnects between my faith and the "real world". E.g., especially the institution of the church (it could be mosque, synagogue, temple, cathedral, etc.)
I am tempted to slide into thinking I don't need the gritty stuff of the world, and can live by by pure faith, whatever that might be. Instead I push myself back to the realization that I learned enough to have faith by reading the Bible (flawed), listening to church school teachers (very flawed, usually superstitious), and attending worship experiences in church buildings, by campfires, and on retreats (often manipulative, usually less than intellectually honest). The same is true for people of other faiths. No rabbi, no monk, no mosque, and no imam is free from prejudice, partial understanding and limits on what he or she knows.
the Real World -- it's all we have, even in century 21. Without it, our faith couldn't exist except as vague, amorphous wishful dreaming. But reconciling our yearning for a growing, deepening faith with the flaws in the real world can be difficult, if not impossible.
What do you think? What has been your experience? Leave a comment and let us know.
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