My personal belief system has always been a hard concept to wrap my brain around, especially when defining my own personal ideologies. I think being immersed in a structured system put me at a disadvantage, closing me off from seeing other perspectives from a younger age.
I grew up surrounded by Catholicism, going to a Catholic school up until high school when I chose to transfer to public school. It was the best decision of my life, where I was able to meet my best friends from a wide range of backgrounds, but I still was unsettled when coming to terms with my faith.
Enter SLU, and to clarify I did not choose SLU because it was Jesuit and Catholic. Here I have learned so much about myself and the world within the past two years. And while I still haven’t figured everything out, hell has anyone, I still feel as if I’ve come a long way when defining what I believe in.
In short, I have come to the conclusion (so far) that life is about connections. We are a network of beings that all have influence on each other, whether we even know someone or not. You feel empathy when you see pictures of foreign refugees. And the work you may produce could touch the life of someone whose face you’ll never see. It’s a complete mystery and none of it is guaranteed. But for me, our relationships with others are what makes this place go ‘round. Whether these connections are with godly presence or figure, with family or friends, or personal connections from certain parts of yourself to others, they still involve influence and an examination of values.
Additionally, I’d like to point out whether or not you believe a certain being or presence put these people in your life is up to you. But please consider the idea that there is both meaning and reason as to why we meet certain people, and this rings especially true for those we choose to keep in our lives.
For me, connecting with others is enough. If you can find love and trust within a whole other person, which you will never fully truly know as we don’t even truly know ourselves, you are taking a remarkable leap of faith. Personally, this can prove to be a strong foundation for a belief system and development of values. While I will not tell you what to believe in, that’s entirely up to you, I encourage you to examine your connection with others and how that affects what you have faith and trust in.