Having Faith: How The Spirit Moves Them
PART I and II
Pam Cowan, Rochester Insider
August 20, 2004
Rochester, NY - The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit.
Uttered by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the mid 1800s, his statement still
resonates today.
For many people, spirituality is the foundation of their lives. Religious
affiliations aside, there are many faces of spirituality in Rochester. Here
are a few who talked to us about their faith:
Rachel Hubregsen
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Bahá'ísm.
Age: 20.
Residence: Scottsville.
Occupation: Cornell University student.
- To you, what is spirituality?
Spirituality to me means having a connection with God. … I believe that
every individual has a soul and has a spirit. …You aren't just focused on
materialism … but the needs of your soul and others' souls.
- How does it manifest in your life?
I think in almost everything. I often ask myself, `Who would I be if I
weren't a Bahá'í?' So much of who I am is really being part of the Bahá'í
Faith.
- Why is it so important to you?
It's really everything. … It gives me purpose in my life (and) an
understanding of the afterlife, too. … Every time I have a question in my
head, it's comforting to know … I can look to the Bahá'í writings.
- What formed your belief system?
My family has had a big role in that. My parents have always been role
models for me. … In the Bahá'í Faith there is no clergy, so every
individual member is responsible for themself. … (Also) reading every day
and putting (my faith) into practice.
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
My whole life.
- What does this faith teach you to believe?
The main message of the Bahá'í Faith is unity. There is a lot of focus
on man and woman and harmony between all the races and nationalities.
Bahá'ís believe that God sends to humans different messengers that reveal
God's will, teachings and guidance.
Christopher Taylor
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Buddhism.
Age: 35.
Residence: Rochester.
Occupation: Zendo assistant trainee at the Rochester Zen Center.
- To you, what is spirituality?
Spirituality is having a daily meditation practice. Something that's
not done once in a while or occasional. Something that's done daily. It's
a physical and mind/body practice that allows you to reach deeper sources
of mind.
- How does it manifest in your life?
It's being wholeheartedly in the direct, present moment. That's why we
meditate so much. … Meditation allows us to be more and more in the
present in each moment of our lives.
- Why is it so important to you?
It's the foundation of my life. … It's not just about sitting in these
postures that we get into, but it's about bringing your meditation into
daily life and integrating that into everyday life.
- What formed your belief system?
The founder of this center (Phillip Kapleau Roshi) wrote a very famous
book called Three Pillars of Zen . I read it in my favorite used bookstore
in Ottawa (Canada), where I was living at the time, and that was it for
me. I read that book and I knew it had potential to change my life.
… Three Pillars of Zen led up to what I was going through: a very personal
crisis in my life in terms of … what was I going to do with my life? I was
obsessed, for years I was obsessed, with what kind of career I wanted to
have. But that wasn't the real question, my real question underneath that
is what is the meaning of my life?
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
Eleven years.
- What does this faith teach you to believe?
There is an ultimate reality that is beyond what we ordinarily
perceive with our five senses. In Buddhism there is a sixth sense called
intellect. It's something that we can all tap into. This wholeness, this
completeness that we all share as human beings,
and it is done through meditation practices.
Devorah Yaras
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Judaism.
Age: 24.
Residence: Rochester.
Occupation: Teacher at the Hillel School.
- To you, what is spirituality?
Spirituality to me is God, really.
There can't be spirituality without God and doing what God wants. As
a Jew, that means following what He told us in the Torah.
- How does it manifest in your life?
What's special about Judaism is
that spirituality is a part of everyday life. … Judaism teaches us
that everything we do has a special meaning.
- Why is it so important to you?
This is who I am. I was born to a
Jewish mother, and that's what makes me Jewish. God created a world
with purpose to it. The purpose to all the people in the world is to
help it reach perfection. … I can do my little part in reaching that
goal by doing what God told me to do.
- What formed your belief system?
There is a point in life when you
make a choice … you have to decide, make a conscious decision that
this is what (you) want out of life. It's true I was born this way, I
was raised this way, I was educated this way, but I also had to
choose to live this way.
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
Since I was born.
- What does this faith teach you to believe? The goal is to make the
world a better place. Not just for Jews, for everyone. … The way we
get there is by doing good things.
Allison Peglow
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Nondenominational Christian.
Age: 25.
Residence: Penfield.
Occupation: Skills instructor at Ontario ARC and a massage therapist.
- To you, what is spirituality?
Spirituality, for me, is being in touch
or feeling one with God. It's the most rewarding part of my faith …
being able to still my thoughts and open my heart. I achieve this
through prayer and meditation.
- How does it manifest in your life?
I'm in tune with the heavenly
influence in things all around me. I see, feel and hear God in
nature, art, music and relationships. A perfect quote is from writer
C.S. Lewis: `I believe in Christianity the same way I believe the sun
has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it, I see
everything else.'
- Why is it so important to you?
... I see so clearly how He's worked in my life. He's blessed me with an
incredible family, a large group of friends, my health, a home, a
bright mind and a full heart. All He asks in return is to be loved. …
God is love.
- What formed your belief system?
The Bible is the basic handbook, so
that's what I refer to for study. …
Another thing that forms my belief system would be the influence of
Christian people around me. It's definitely helpful to have people to
talk and spiritually relate to. Having a Christian friend to whom I
am held accountable, that is also important because nowadays it's
easy to fall into a sinful lifestyle and think that nobody has
noticed.
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
I grew up in a strong
Christian household, but it wasn't until I was about 20 years old … that I
made the independent decision to devote my
life to Christianity.
- What does this faith teach you to believe?
I believe in Jesus Christ.
I believe that through his death my sins were forgiven, and his
resurrection is assurance that one day my home will be in heaven.
Laura Hammond
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Wicca/Pagan Witch.
Age: 39.
Residence: Rochester.
Occupation: Student, online business owner and a mother of three, all
of whom she homeschools.
- To you, what is spirituality?
Spirituality is just really something
that is so intensely personal. It is something that is at the core of
your being. I guess it's your core. …
You have to find your own path, and I firmly believe all paths lead
to the same place …
For me it happens to be being in tune with nature and the seasons and
my own personal being.
- How does it manifest in your life?
In every way that you could think.
From teaching your kids the things that are important, like your
values. …
We are vegetarians, we are more environmentally aware … and we are
very open to all people.
… We like to focus on the fact the God or Goddess is within you. It
is not something you seek for, it is something you will find within.
- Why is it so important to you?
I'm not sure. When I was in the Born-Again Christian environment I always wanted to know more. I wanted to
understand other faiths. I have an insatiable desire for knowledge.
- What formed your belief system?
I have always been the kind of person
who tries to seek out spirituality. For me, part of that was more
knowledge of different faiths. … I just started seeing there are
valid things in everyone's paths. Not just mine.
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
Since 1987.
- What does this faith teach you to believe?
The basis of my faith
personally is that spirituality and religion are two separate things.
My own spirituality involves going inside of myself and trying to
make myself a better person. … If I improve myself first, people will
see that example. … It's about getting yourself in tune with who you
are and the people around you.
Nandita Kohli Verma
Religious/spiritual affiliation: Hinduism.
Age: 31.
Residence: Greece.
Occupation: Attorney.
- To you, what is spirituality?
To me, spirituality is a feeling. …
It's a feeling, but … it's a roadmap in my life.
- How does it manifest in your life?
It centers me. …
Even (when making) the smallest decisions, it's always there. I don't
think there is anything that I do when I don't think of spirituality.
…I always go back to my faith.
- Why is it so important to you?
Because it reminds me that I am more
than just my conditioned personality. … In everything that I do I
like to have that thought in my mind. Something that I find in daily
life is that … we all have thoughts, we all act, we all have feelings
… we really need to remember that all those need to be consistent
with each other and with the moral values we are taught in our
religion.
- What formed your belief system?
Growing up … we always went to the
temple. In the house there was always a temple. My grandparents were
always very religious. … When I had my own home and achieved my
higher education … that is when I started asking more questions. When
you are younger you are mechanically taught things … when you are
older you ask why.
- How long have you been practicing your beliefs?
My entire life.
- What does this faith teach you to believe?
It teaches universal
values. It's a real multifaceted religion. … I like the way my
husband puts it: It's like a compass and it gives you direction.
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