One of the most important parts in my life is the belief in supernatural power which governs the universe. Maybe because I was born and raised up in a parish house in Germany.
It doesn't matter which religion we belong to or believe in: the recognition of God as object of worship, the form of worship should be our primacy need. Sad to say, more and more people get another opinion nowadays.
During my stay in several Western countries, I experienced icy and conceited comments such as religiousness isn't popular any more. Religiousness makes people unwilling and morose because of exaggeration and sometimes even hypocrisy. Increasing negative headlines about the "institutional church" in the past and now, and embarrassing comparisons lead only to discord.
How comes? We want to see the religiousness of our fellow creatures. We want to understand their ideology.
But we are also poking our nose into other people's business too much. Let's look behind the scenes and let's find out what religious behavior promotes: humility in actual life. Maybe. It's hard for us to do without affecting others.
We even forget the real meaning of religiousness. St. John Crysostom subscribed the topic "Pagans and Christians" very well: "There would be no pagans if we were good Christians. But the pagans see us manifesting the same desires, pursuing the same objects - power and honor - as themselves, how can they admire Christianity?"
They see our lives open to reproach and our souls worldly. We admire wealth equally with them and even more. How, then, can they believe? From miracles? But these are no longer wrought. From our conversion? It has become corrupt. From charity? Not a trace of it is anywhere seen. (Quotation "Winnowing Fan", Vol. XX, June 2003, S of G Foundation, Makati).
I am proud having people in my surroundings who taught me be how to be on the right track - unconcerned and unnoticed. Natural and uninhibited, they showed me how to put real religiousness into action besides praying and going regularly to church. I call such people religious. I mean it as praise because they don't like to blow their trumpets while a acting as Christians in our daily life. Having such people around us make it easier to practice forgiveness... .
