Jeremiah

The prophet not the rapper (Jeremih).

I'm a catholic born an atheist. Religion was part of my culture back home. EVERYONE was Christian and most everyone was catholic. It was a way of life.

In Mexico, a lot of business is created through the networks we build in our religious life. My godparents are my parents' "conpadres". Co-parents if you will. Though some of our celebrations are charicaturized by pop culture melodramas about not so ugly people, the true celebrations are baptism, communion and confirmation. All the stigma of a cotillion is there, plus God also comes to the party. Convenient no? To party with God's eye on you?

Part of the catholic church is going to Mass. Every Sunday, like clockwork we crowd to the town/community church to listen and pray.

I don't believe in hypnotism. But I do believe in the murmur-like comfort provided by hundreds of voices singing the same off-key notes together. The coordinated shuffling of feet - getting up, sitting down, kneeling... I'm not even listening.

The priest stands before us and 9 out of 10 times rehashes the day's reading in some illogical and nonsensical effort to carve out Aristotelian unity out of nothing.
When he does say something of meaning I listen.

Some nod in agreement. Others, out of a habit grown from years of practice look impassively into nothingness hiding a turmoil that lies just beneath. Some people say amen (not like a soulful one but more like a scared, sacrosanct one). People hold on to their loved ones or close their eyes in a rare moment of brief introspection.

I do all of these things.

For an hour the outside world is locked out by vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. No cell-phone, no small talk, no earthly ties.

Bliss (even without religion in it).