Epiphany

First and foremost, thoughts and prayers with all those affected by the horrific happenings this week.

I don't typically post anything like this, so bear with me, I have a point. I am 23 years old. I was raised Catholic. I went to Church damn near every Sunday with my grandma. It was our thing, our time together, and we were both early risers. I say this as past tense, even though my grandma is very much still alive. I no longer go to Church. I no longer am an early riser.

When I was around 10-11 years old I became "Confirmed" by the Catholic Church. What 10-11 year old knows that they want to live in the Catholic faith for the rest of their life? Seriously. That sacrament should be performed much later, like High School or later. But what do I know.

I know that I probably shouldn't have been Confirmed. Religious Education comes before Confirmation. I think the turning point for me and my faith was the Religious Ed class in which I asked our Pastor "If God created the Universe, who created God?" Just reading that question, I'm sure you won't be surprised that I didn't get a real response. He beat around the bush saying God is everywhere and everything and blah blah and never really answered. I think that's when my beliefs changed, though I didn't quite know it at the time.

Now, I do believe that there is a higher power, or are higher powers. I also believe that we will likely never figure out exactly what that is. I really like the ideas of the Greek Gods. One different God for many things. This loosely correlates to the other idea I really like of worshiping the elements.

I believe in The Universe. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that The Universe is, no doubt, unfolding exactly as it should, even if we don't like or understand why it is happening. I believe in fate. I believe in karma. I believe in reincarnation. I believe in ghosts and aliens. Yes, aliens. Maybe not "little green people" or even "big green people" like they're portrayed in movies, but some type of foreign being that we are unaware of. I believe that anything is possible. Because, it is.

My grandma likes to believe that she is an alien and that one of her lives is here as a human. I get that sounds a little weird. But if you read Stephenie Meyer's The Host or possibly watch the movie (I say possibly because I haven't seen it so I don't know how far it strays from the book), that's kind of what she believes. I don't think it's all that far-fetched.

Now on to my point. On my drive into work this morning I was thinking of the bombing in Boston, the plant explosion in Texas, the shooting at MIT, etc. And I got the overwhelming urge to pray. I stay far away from telling people I'll pray for them. I tend to say my thoughts are with them instead. Then it hit me today. Why can't I pray? Just because I don't believe in one God doesn't mean I have to associate prayer with that God. I can pray to The Universe. I can pray to whatever higher power there is whether I give it a name or not. I can pray.

Sitting here typing this I became concerned. I do believe in a higher power, but some people don't. Some people believe only in things with concrete evidence. Who could they pray to? Again, it hit me. Scientists. Why can't you pray to other people? Pray to our scientists that they find evidence of whatever it is you're praying for.

I can pray. That epiphany is so empowering, enlightening, soul moving.