I take this one class in school called Human Geography. It’s all about how the environment relates to human culture and things like that. Anyway, in this class, we talk a lot about religion. We were talking about traits of religions and this one girl raised her hand to start talking. She’s really smart and always gets As so everyone was expecting a flawless answer. She raised her hand and said “Well, Islam is a monotheistic religion. They believe that God, who they call Allah, spoke through a prophet Mohammad. Islam also tends to be pretty violent”. Now, I’m not sure if you all have taken any religion classes, but this is not a fair assessment of Islam at all! Islam is actually remarkably similar value-wise to Christianity – they aren’t any more violent than we are! She wasn’t trying to be hateful either – she was just wrong! That’s the thing about ignorance, it is simply not knowing! It is this not knowing that causes fear. And the only way to alleviate fear is to learn as much as you can about other cultures; this will help you understand them and accept them. But how will you know if you are being ignorant? By definition you don’t know. The only way we can live life the way Jesus calls us to is to keep our ears open and our eyes open. To be forgiving and honest to ourselves, while also actively seeking further understanding of others. This thirst for knowledge can reap some of the most incredible benefits, and provide the makings for the most eye opening experiences. You will be shocked and moved by people that have faith in things you cannot comprehend. I honestly believe there is nothing more fulfilling than diversity, nothing more affecting than people different than yourself. It’s truly a gift, this diversity of religion, appearance, beliefs, culture. We can make the most of this gift by attempting to understand all others.

However, it’s impossible to be completely open minded, just as it is impossible to be perfect, no matter how hard we try. All we can do is pray for support and try again. However, a problem arises when you encounter a culture that you believe is ethically wrong. For example, how do you relate to a religion that believes it’s wrong to allow black people to participate? Or how do you reconcile that Jesus calls us to love everyone, even those people that we believe are bullies, or cruel, or racist? First off, it is essential to remember that no one is all good or all bad, just as there is no one right way to live your life. Essentially, down at the core, we all feel the same emotions, we all have families, we all have faith in something. It is much easier to find ways that we all are different than similar – however, Jesus calls us to do what’s hardest and really reach beyond our perceptions of others.

The Episcopal Church is not about trying to convert people and force them to love others. It’s not about making others love the same way you do, or see things the same way you do. To yourself, you are choosing the right path for you, but this might not be the same way others show their love. Jesus, instead, calls us to set an example of love, and to spread his message through our actions of love, and hopefully inspire others to love as well. I truly believe that Jesus would rather us carry out his teachings of unconditional love and to doubt God, than to be piously faithful but cold-hearted to our fellow human beings. Our religion is about the message, the action, the love we show for one another. It is about actively accepting and loving, and finding the strength to do this through our faith in others and God. This faith gives us the courage to reach out, the courage to be good, kind people – we have a back-up team this way! Jesus gives us the faith in ourselves to love others without condition, and when we fail, we know there’s someone there to help us forgive ourselves.

Carson, an 11th grader, is a member of St. Margaret’s D.C.