I found these two chapters in The Faith Club to be very interesting. I have never really thought about death and the afterlife. After I read chapter 12 and all the different beliefs of each woman, it created some questions that I had about death and afterlife. Having been raised Christian, I always had a belief in an afterlife and in heaven. But some questions about the actual act of dying came to mind after reading this. I had to pause to wonder exactly what death is like. I had questions like would death be painful? This question is a huge issue for me because I am very afraid of pain. Would I make it to heaven? This question I cannot answer because I believe only God knows the answer to that one. Would I be stuck waiting around between the afterlife and heaven, like that scene in Beetlejuice where the two main characters die and then are stuck waiting for their number to be called so they know where to go next on the way to their afterlife? I also wondered if I would be able to hear what people say about me after I’m gone. Silly as some of these thoughts are, I could not help but let my mind wonder. Chapter 12 brought questions to me about death that I really never contemplated.
I enjoyed reading chapter 13 as well; it made me think of an experience that I had as a child. While reading the part about the woman who had a first time experience with the Imam, it reminded me of the time I went to my first mass at a Catholic church. I was 8 and spending the night at my best friend Kathleen’s house. Her family was Catholic and I was a Christian, but since I was spending the night, I was to attend the service with them. My first impression of the church was utter awe, for I was used to my little church and this place was much bigger. As I walked in the building, the first thing I remember noticing was the basin of holy water that was attached to the wall. I didn’t know what it was for, but watched as Kathleen and her mother dipped their fingers in and did the motions with the cross on their faces.
Next I remember entering a small room with a bunch of lit candles on a table, and I sat there watching as her mother lit a candle and prayed. I don’t remember what she said but I do remember thinking how weird and different this was from my own church. After that we entered the larger room with all the pews; I think we were late because there were a lot of people already seated, so we were forced to sit way in the back. I marveled at how big the room was and we were so far back that I could not see up to the front of the alter. I remember most vividly that since I could not see up front, I didn’t know who was talking. All I could hear was a voice of a man speaking, but did not know where it was coming from; I was looking all around trying to find the source of the voice. Being a child with a vivid imagination, I looked up at the ceiling where the voice seemed to be coming from and thought that God was talking. Since I was a kid and did not know any better, and at the time did not realize they had ceiling speakers, I thought God was speaking to me. Now I know that it wasn’t God talking to me, and this experience taught me to appreciate other faiths just as the woman did who had her first experience with the Imam.
Your story about the "voice of God" in your friend's church reminds me of "theory theory," the developmental concept that suggests that young children will make up their own explanations for a variety of things. I, too, am not Catholic but attended Catholic services with friends as a child, and remember being in awe of my surroundings when I was there. I didn't really understand what communion was, but just knew that you weren't supposed to touch the "bread" that the priest had put in your mouth. On one Sunday, I saw a boy pull the wafer out of his mouth to show his friend, and I remember gasping in shock, and being surprised nothing bad happened immediately! There are so many beliefs, rituals, practices, etc. that go with each religion, and it's fascinating to learn about all of them. And learning is just the first step, as appreciating, as you said, is key.
ReplyDelete