Belong

Today I had a great cup of coffee. I met with a friend who is studying to become a nutritionist. She had wanted some practice, so I volunteered to have her review my family's menu and help us make better food choices. After we talked about nutrition and kids, we got to religion.

She had wanted her kids to grow up in a community of compassion, love, peace, so she had done some church shopping. In her searching, she found that most of the churches preach a narrow minded vision, with rejection of any choice outside a small box. Although she didn't find a church or true community, she found that Buddhism was the best fit for her and her family.

I have been struggling with some of those same issues. I could never accept the damnation of so many, that there is only one way to be a good person and live a good life. But I want to belong to a group, a community of like minded souls with shared values.

The conversation today gave me hope. I may not find what I'm looking for at the church on the corner, or the one next door to that, but I feel more confident that it's out there.