LadyGypsy.net – the blog of Kimberly Dowd of New Jersey

I’m struggling with this lately. It’s hard.

More from Reverb 10, which is great at helping me think inwardly and respond outwardly.

Today’s prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

In 2010 we joined a church! I don’t write about religion often here because it makes people uncomfortable and that makes me uncomfortable and I don’t want that. And most religious views on the Internet fall into 2 categories:

>> 1) The image of Jesus on my tire treads told me to hate you
>> 2) You Christians have the intellectual potential of an amoeba and that’s why I’m better than you. FSM ftw!

But I was baptised Catholic and remained a Christian once I parted ways with Vatican City. And while I’m not following the proper Christian lifestyle at the moment (shifty eyes) that’s where my soul calls home. Faith doesn’t have to make sense. That’s why it’s faith.

We went on a Church Search last year and stumbled into an Episcopalian church with a giant “No Perfect People Allowed” sign staked into the lawn. But that’s a bit of a fib, because the people there are perfect for me. (I’d say “us” but I don’t like speaking for WM on my own blog. But he goes every week too.)

In 2011, I’d like to join the community of multi-million dollar lottery winners.

I just finished reading The Faith Club.

Plot, in a nutshell: After 9/11, a Muslim mom, a Christian mom and a Jewish mom decided to write a children’s book about their religions. During their first few meetings, each woman realizes she has her own issues with her own religon. Instead of doing what the rest of us would do (“Screw you, you self-centered judgmental witch!” [door slam]) they tough it out, open up a dialog, and grow a friendship in the process.

I wanted to quit the book almost immediately because I was uncomfortable with how Priscilla (Jewish mom) wanted Suzanne (Christian mom) to leave the story of the crucifixion out of the Pentecost story because she felt it was Anti-Semitic. That just bugged the hell out of me, so I put the book down, not intending to finish it.

But because I have little to no willpower I picked it back up again the next night before bed. I’m so glad I did. I really got to like Priscilla, Suzanne and Ranya (the Muslim mom) and I found myself identifying with each of them as they struggled with various elements of their faith. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and learned more about Islam than I was ever taught in school or by the media. (Sad, yes?)

I don’t think the children’s book was ever written, and I really wish the authors would do just that.