Unpopular Beliefs: Pondering COVID, Hate and Religion

 Disclaimer:  These thoughts do not represent the stand of the religion I belong to.  These are my opinion.

    One early morning in April, so many thoughts crowded in my head, clamoring for light.  I had no choice but to type them into my phone in the dark just so I could sleep.  Here they are in no specific order, as random as they flowed from my head:

• This global COVID19 pandemic brought out the best and worst in humanity this past year.  Sadly, the good became better and the bad became worse.
• It highlighted the issues in society and in the environment we move in - i.e. the disparity between the poor and the rich; the impact of corrupt government vs. good governance.
• Discrimination in any form became heightened, including Asian Hate.
• And yet the enemy is not other people.  It's the virus.  But we have started turning against each other instead of turning TO each other for help and to give help.

• In the same way, there should not be a struggle among different religions.  Afterall, they all preach the same basic concepts/principles:  a God who is good and who saves, Love and Kindness, Forgiveness, Truth.
• All the main figures in major religions did not say, create a religion and be saved.  They all preached a way of life, a way of being.  They exemplified their teachings in their lives; more than creating rules.
• God's love and grace is not limited by religion.  He said so in the Bible "His Sun shines on both the good and the evil and sends rain on the just and unjust" (Matthew 5:45) and "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33).
• Religion provides different roads to the same destination.  Choose the road that works for you. At the end of the day, although we meet different people along the way, it is an individual journey.  We come into this world alone and leave it alone.
• The enemy is the evil one that sows hate, separation from God and the belief that there is no God.  That is what all religions need to work against.
• Praying to saints, our ancestors or dearly departed, asking for intercessions from people we know, prayer gatherings/meetings, praying over --- they are all asking from God ... with a little help from our friends.  The only difference is who are you asking help from:  people who have graduated or people who are still in the university (just different level) with you.
• Formula prayers, novenas are no different from saying "Amen" to an impromptu prayer uttered by someone.  The efficacy is not on the prayer itself but it's in the heart as you say the prayer or as you say "Amen".  Whenever I see or hear prayers that resonate with me in my specific journey, I copy them and make them my own.  I have even requested for copies of personal prayers uttered by prayer leaders.  When you can't find the words, it is very handy to have prayers available that articulate exactly what's in your heart.  
• They say singing is praying twice.  Well, aren't they essentially formula prayers as well?
• If none of those work.  Where words and song fail us, being just silent with God also works.  Afterall, He knows what is in our hearts before we even speak it.

Why are these random thoughts plaguing me?  Because I feel religion wars and hate & discrimination are unnecessary distractions from the real issues we need to combat together.  These petty things have only succeeded in dividing us, which is counterproductive.  We are stronger united.  There is strength in number.  Time to put away our differences and work towards restoring humanity and Mother Earth.  Listen to what COVID19 is teaching us.

We need to Lead with Love (Thank you P&G for providing the perfect tagline.  I hope it catches on more deeply), ask ourselves "What is the loving thing to do?" and act on it.

Borrowed from the internet