Today I attended a funeral for my roommate's uncle. It was a Coptic Egyptian service, and going into it I didn't know what to expect. Over an hour later I walked away with a new perspective. What I took from the service was the image of a beautifully ornate church, rays of light streaming in through the windows, hearing familiar Bible passages sung instead of being spoken - and these same passages being quoted both in Arabic and Coptic. There were many unfamiliar aspects to the service, all of which spiked my curiousity about why and how these practices came to be. At the end of the service the casket was carried out of the church, and my roommate's aunt followed it with her arm outstretched and tears streaming down her cheeks. She had this look of desperate longing, like she knew this was the last time she would be that close to her husband again in this life. It brought stinging tears to my eyes. I started to think about what I would do and how I might possibly be able to cope if something happened to Charlie. Just the thought makes me freeze up mentally and emotionally. I can't comprehend, nor do I want to, the thought of facing life in such a solitary state. But that's not why I feel the need to express the effect the day has had on me.
I learned some things today that made me unable to stop thinking about "religion" and all the various facets of its existence. I learned that an orthodox coptic church has priests who sing passages from the Bible acapella. In the small Baptist churches I have attended, passages from the Bible are sung in the form of old hymns - with musical accompanying as the entire congregation sings. I found a sense of familiarity in hearing the Word spoken, even if it was in such a new-to-me manner. Another thing I not really learned, but came to a greater realization of, today is how differently each religion expresses their worship of God. Some denominations (like what I am used to) sing hymns and keep their worship to a relatively reserved level; others worship in a louder, livlier manner. Still others worship through time-tested, seemingly "subdued" manners. Until today, I never did fully understand how some of these methods have lasted. I only knew of my one way to praise my Savior, and I never gave much thought to how other methods could be just as glorifying to God. I see now that I, along with others just like me, have put God in this box that just happens to conform to what I believe to be Truth. God is so much bigger, greater, more all-emcompassing than that, though. Who am I to say that one style of worship is "better" or "more glorifying" to God than another? And who am I to judge how others happen to relate to The Almighty? I mean, aren't I doing the same thing that everyone else is doing by following what has been shown and taught to me my entire life? What if I'm missing out on some profound chance to get closer to God and know Him more by staunchly sticking to one style of worship? What if by unconsciously limiting my Savior I'm really only limiting myself? What if God has been patiently waiting on me to come to a greater understanding of Him, and this is only the beginning of that transformation?
There are so many questions I have about religion - my religion, the religions I am familiar with and those that I know nothing about. I do believe that I am on the cusp of coming to terms with portions of my inadequate knowledge of God and Religion, but I don't know if I will ever figure anything out once and for all - at least not in this lifetime. And maybe that's the way it's meant to be.
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