"What If..." (and new artist in the Gallery)

This is why I believe, really believe, what I do...okay, I'm just messing with you. I don't have a clue why I believe. Be honest - you don't know why you believe what you do either. Or why you are bereft of belief of some kind if that is the case.

But since I have not excluded faith (of any sort) from this project - I'll just share a bit of my own. This project description notes 'Faith in the Mix' and some readers may want some definition around that.

I have a great admiration of written human history (and posit that this is the only knowable history). And love learning from all cultures and traditions. Religious or non-religious. 

I don't have any technical idea of how I came to my faith other than remembering thinking at one time, 'what if?'

On the other side of that event I found some interesting observations of my faith. It is in common with all in that it tells something obvious and true - people are imperfect. But then here is where one faith runs off the rails of all human tradition and systems of religions and faiths. Christianity departs from all human history with stating a logical conclusion that, for me apparently, rang true. This; that people are therefore incapable of moral perfection. Which for me is something quite obvious - I can't find my car keys half the time, don't know when I have cheez-it crumbs on my shirt - I could go on. You get the picture. Reconnecting with god? It is way out of my league. Just saying.

So with all science, religions, or philosophies you have the bad news of our obvious state. 

With my adopted faith you have the good news of an answer to this. It is an impossible and strange answer. And not even provable as true. But with other faiths - also impossible and strange answers of human effort. And equally not provable as true - (and good news if you manage whatever is required of you). 

Only if 'what if it's true?' comes to mind - for me, a choice of belief (again, very personal - and I don't even understand my own adoption of faith, technically) can lead to hope, and for me, a god worthy of worship. Another choice of any kind, if believed, can bring hope as well. I don't understand other faiths very well other than where they differ - that they motivate towards an end,  while Christianity (ideally) motivates from an end. I notice that many friends of other faiths daily attempt to do what they say is required - and I find that incredibly admirable. 

The church structure, religion, that relates itself to my personal faith is often not quite so admirable - in the tendency to want its adherents to STILL motivate towards an end...while also stating the opposite position that that work was finished by God. 

Oh well. Augustine allegedly said this long ago, "the church is a whore, but she's still my mother."

I don't know if he really said that - but I get it. 

So here there will likely sometimes be a mix of faith as it intersects with story, essay, or photography in things I find and post. Maybe not my faith, maybe yours, maybe neither of ours.  

Just story, essay, photography I find captivating. I hope you do as well.