I was baptized, but I’ve never claimed to be Christian. It made more sense to seek out truth independently than inside the walls of a church. The “leap of faith” a Christian takes seemed more like an accepted veil of ignorance for personal comfort than and divine guide. I got so caught up with the unprovable belief that I wrote off all the other qualities Christianity embodies.
Vipassana connected me with the importance of living a moral life. Instead of intellectualizing how morality created the foundation for a safe and functional society, I experienced directly how morality could bring peace and happiness to me personally. Instead of feeling taken advantage of by someone cheating the system, I learned how those people were suffering inside. After a few deep breathes, I can accept that Christianity was trying to teach me these things from the beginning. I need to develop faith to keep listening within even when I’m not sensitive enough to feel the answer. Isn’t that pretty close to what they teach in church?
The second quality is the value of community support to live a wholesome life. I constantly succumb to temptation when I’m alone in the world, but with the support of good friends and family, I more successful with staying on the bath. The Church provides the infrastructure for this social support. By bringing everyone together once a week and revisiting a commitment to morality and wholesome living, many people find the strength to continue walking the path. This is a wonderful thing.
When I first found Vipassana, I thought I had finally found an answer to disprove Christianity. Instead, I’m learning that the foundational values of the Church have been more advanced than my beliefs all along. Now, I’m more Christian than I’ve ever been before.
