THE F WORD

A Message to Readers: The content of this article is meant as a form of expression of the author's thoughts. It is not intended to hurt anybody's sentiments or mock anyone's beliefs. With that being said, I hope you enjoy reading it.

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Hence, I stand at crossroads, knowing each path leads to you, but in practice so different, the person that emerges at the end could no longer bear any resemblance to me. Tell me, I beg you, would you want me to fear you, or have faith in you?

Barring atheists, most of us believe in the existence of an entity, who is omnipotent and omnipresent. While every religion has its own way of characterizing Him, there is general consensus that He may be referred to as God. He created us, and after we die, we return to Him. There is a certain degree of comfort in knowing there is a greater power out there, looking over us.

I personally believe that each one of us has a very personal relationship with God. We are individual beings and equal in His eyes. What we do, what we think and what we have confidence in, are secrets only He knows, in entirety, other than our own selves. Is it not odd, then, that other people consider it appropriate to govern our connection with Him, based on their own beliefs and understanding?

As really young children, we are explained the concept of red and black stars, a scoreboard maintained in Heaven for the good and bad deeds we do. At the age, this encourages us to indulge in selfless acts, so as to gain more red stars. However, as we grow older, it becomes a source of fear.

Fear of what would happen if we make a mistake. Fear of what would become of us if we do not play by the rules. Fear of whether we would experience joy, because we did not pray that one time. I have hardly met anyone who does not fear God. Somehow, because of our own interpretations of how God views us, we have made Him into somebody who should be seen as a figure of terror.

But do you see the problem? We cannot have faith in someone we fear, because we are terrified of them and that makes it impossible to trust them. How can you exist in a state where you have no faith? I cannot count the times I have been told to pray, to do things a certain way because if I do not, I will be punished. You make God angry. Why has the relationship between God and man been reduced to rituals and conformity?

For every good thing that has happened in our lives, it is because He loves and cares about us. He is a just entity, and we truly are important for Him. It is not a transaction that takes place between us and Him, it is a meaningful connection, that should be devoid of fear.

I’d like to believe that I love God and have faith in what he has planned for me, and that He has faith in the fact that I can carry out what He wants me to. I do not want to be scared of Him, because to exist in such terror is like not existing at all, if not worse.

Fear demands obedience, the kind that isn’t voluntary, the kind that is destructive. We cannot control what we are taught, but once mature enough to make our own decisions, we need to ask ourselves the fundamental question: Do I want to fear Him, or do I want to have faith in Him? The choice of the F word is yours, and as long as it isn’t fickle, you may actually get to live a life on your own terms.