And yes, it's the Jennings family in church on a Sunday!
So I'm the Christening hypocrite here – agnostic as they come (well I’m Libran, what do you expect? sitting with a fence post up my bum is practically obligatory LOL), standing up in a church renouncing evil, professing a faith of a denomination I know next to nothing about – it’s so WRONG! My darling husband doesn’t quite understand why I feel that telling a lie in church is worse than saying it anywhere else, but he’s an atheist (or in my mother’s eye, a heathen LOL).
So why does a middle-aged woman put herself in this position? Well take a look at that gorgeous child’s face for a start ;) And because my beloved baby sister wants me to be godmother to her beautiful boys and how could I ever say no to that? While we've been through the motions of a conversation about the ethics/hyocrisy of me vowing something that isn’t true, it is very simple to her. She wants me to be a positive influence, provide her boys with unconditional love, be there to help them throughout their lives, always be there to care deeply. Easy peasy, I’m so there, I am committed to fulfilling the role my sister and brother-in-law want in the real world.
So I find myself silently “re-interpreting” archaic religious vows into a shadow of their former selves to appease my conscience. I won’t deny myself this role, this special place in their lives. But… it doesn’t sit easy. Maybe I’m kidding myself – perhaps I should just get over myself LOL, but when you’re standing in a hallowed place and feeling a bit like a little kid again and looking a priest straight in the eye while you say something you know to be untrue, well yikes! On the other hand, I found it charming that my girls got to light the christening candles, symbols of the light baby Noah shines on the world – that was uncomplicatedly lovely. And truly, is there anything that puts a bigger more contented smile on my face than holding a baby? (sigh)
So why does a middle-aged woman put herself in this position? Well take a look at that gorgeous child’s face for a start ;) And because my beloved baby sister wants me to be godmother to her beautiful boys and how could I ever say no to that? While we've been through the motions of a conversation about the ethics/hyocrisy of me vowing something that isn’t true, it is very simple to her. She wants me to be a positive influence, provide her boys with unconditional love, be there to help them throughout their lives, always be there to care deeply. Easy peasy, I’m so there, I am committed to fulfilling the role my sister and brother-in-law want in the real world.
So I find myself silently “re-interpreting” archaic religious vows into a shadow of their former selves to appease my conscience. I won’t deny myself this role, this special place in their lives. But… it doesn’t sit easy. Maybe I’m kidding myself – perhaps I should just get over myself LOL, but when you’re standing in a hallowed place and feeling a bit like a little kid again and looking a priest straight in the eye while you say something you know to be untrue, well yikes! On the other hand, I found it charming that my girls got to light the christening candles, symbols of the light baby Noah shines on the world – that was uncomplicatedly lovely. And truly, is there anything that puts a bigger more contented smile on my face than holding a baby? (sigh)
5 comments:
Oh Sue,Your post made me laugh as I can so relate.Maybe its that Im a Libran also and married to an athiest too but Im up there with the fence pailing firmly planted right beside you
Love Kaz
xox
LOL Kaz, good to have some company astride with me ;)
xxxxx
Ah now those photos are like, well mine actually (insert obligatory ROFLMFAO here)
Hmm can't comment on the fencepost, it's one side or the other here in case you hadn't noticed.
Anyway good work for going to church, it's hard enough for me to keep a straight face while Charlotte sings all the God songs she learns at school :)
We were in church once for a christening of my firend's son, and my nephew Pip said at the top of his lungs, "Hey, Look at all the T's on the walls. They like the letter T here."
He was of course referring to the crosses.
We got some looks.
Oh Pip, that is priceless and completely fair enuff too, all the good Christians worshipping the letter t (just had a Sesame St flashback - "today's sermon was brought to you by the letter t and the number 6").
Spent a good many hours in church as a child/adolescent and I lived for those funny kid comments/misbehaviour etc. If I'd be around the day Pip was doing the running commentary, I would have been quietly PMSL and hoping for more pearls of wisdom/wit/distraction. Don't want to end up with the Mormons anyway ;)
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