Coffee – then adulting.

I went to church this past Sunday for the first time in a few months. I hate to use summer as an excuse, but we get out of our normal routines, travel, etc., and unfortunately, that means forgoing Mass. I did chaperone my daughter’s church camp…does that count?

Anyways, I have honestly been eager to get back to Mass. I’m not sure if I’m looking for answers, or just input, or validation. However, I do know I am searching for meaning in all that is going on in our country. You know, I am seeking out a higher power to make it all make sense. So many things seem backward, and people are so angry.

When I’m sitting in church, I always wonder if other people are there for those same reasons. I know I can’t be the only one.

I wonder what the priest is thinking. If he’s caught the latest news. If people are coming to him with questions and seeking answers, solace, comfort, etc. Does he write his homilies with this in mind? It sure seemed that way Sunday – but it could also be coincidental.

I questioned Catholicism for a long time, if it was right and just. But no religion is perfect. Oftentimes people turn to religious or spiritual guidance in times of distress, and I guess I am doing that very thing.

I was thinking back to President Trump’s inauguration in January and the interfaith service he attended afterward, which became controversial. The bishop presiding over that service had asked him to have mercy on the LGBTQ and immigrant populations. She was asking for mercy but was criticized for being too political. Would the bishop have been more tolerable if she disguised her plea with a Bible verse instead of asking outright?

The church takes a stance on many issues that have become political. So why would it be surprising for her to speak up when she has a pulpit to do it? Isn’t that what we ask of our spiritual leaders? Was her request really that terrible when, as a country, we seem to be mixing religion with politics and blurring the lines all the time? It was just a couple of weeks ago when the world watched a televised memorial service for Charlie Kirk that mixed messages about religion, policy, partisanship, and retribution.

I promised myself I would not get political in these blog posts, so I’m going to leave it at that.

As a child, I viewed church as a chore that had to get done to put me in the Lord’s good graces, as much as I hate to admit that. But I’ve always wondered would there be a sudden tragedy or something in my life that would draw me closer to my religion – I guess it’s these confusing, tumultuous times.

Is anyone else feeling the same?