All that glitters is not gold

Long before the beginning of Christianity, religion has been highly influential to social norms and ways of living. Since the renaissance, it has gone far beyond to touch the lives of both the poor and the rich. The stake holders, the initiators of religion, came with answers and solutions to the everlasting question that all men ask themselves at some point in life. “What will be the end of this temporary being? This, I guess tickled almost all to go for it. In fact there is incredible reason for one to adhere to its teachings. However, when we tune to the outcome of it, the good and the bad, we suggest that “all that glitters is not gold”. The missionary came with its role to stop slavery and, later, cleared a way for the colonization era and religion-based discrimination. I wonder why people don’t focus on what they have in common rather than their differences. History has it that lives were lost and property was plundered during Jihads and other religious conflicts. Could this have been the aim of religion? Why do churches split if “all ways lead to Rome”, as the saying goes. To understand the starting point of religion could be to realize the core and the pillar of it. Inadequate knowledge and research about the user’s menu (the bible) could perhaps be the reason as to why we follow the crowd and end up getting lost in it. Nowadays, the rise of many churches is high. Day after a day comes a new religion with new beliefs. We change here and there. We are prompted to believe in one and leave the other according to our understanding and end up flying like a ship without a rudder. Yet, we all speak of the same God. Could this be the impact that we have understood and thus reform? Or partly, is this a game to win personal interests as in emotional drive that makes the world go round? If the world at its worst needs church at its best, why not specialize in faith lifting not faith differentiating? If church goers are like coals of fire! When they cling together they keep the flame a glow when they separate they die out as Bill Graham said. Why don’t we stick to already what we have if little is much when God is with it? It has been said by Billy Graham that churchgoers are like coals of fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; but when they separate, they die out. Why, then, don’t we stick to what we have if little is much when God is involved? Could the growth and rise of many be the growth of many asking themselves, “What on earth am I doing for heaven’s sake?” I hope that if this was the case, we would be heading to paradise. But if not what destiny! Surely we may not always see eye to eye, but may we walk hand in hand. May we find unity that prevails from the Middle East to both ends of the world. Let religion be the family tree that produces some nuts. The author is a student at Sonrise High School. Ends