CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)
Where Everything
Faith Feels Fake By Corey Gabriel
IN ALL MY OBSERVATIONS ON BELIEF, FRAUDULENCE IN PEOPLE OF FAITH SEEMS TO BE THE ULTIMATE CAUSE OF WIDESPREAD UNBELIEF. When you figure
that with the reputation of ‘jailhouse religion’ (see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in “Pain and Gain”), our typical response is *in first-grade teacher enthusiasm* “Who’s ready to vomit?!” The entire class eagerly raises their waving hands. I’ve been to the place where everything ‘faith’ feels ‘fake’. Something along the prison corridor, a man smiles, and waves. I smile and wave. Social expectations fulfilled, our grins melt into the elements they were forged from-- apathy, disinterest, depression, impatience, and a wee pinch of resentment. And we float on… While the first four sentiments may be comprehensible when trying to understand the machine that prison is, might I elaborate upon resentment and what it had to do with faith? In under 260 characters, I’ll give it to you: They have absolutely nothing to do with each other. (51) That’s the contradictory state of faith here; all is well, then all is hell. Hugging and hating the hugged happens simultaneously here. I find myself fighting myself in an effort to be consistent in my beliefs, while finding those around me to be an inconvenience. I’m called to be perfect, but the 300 bajillion people on the planet keep getting in my way! I go to the chapel, and they’re worse! Really, I see my own wretchedness in the weaknesses of others, like in the mirror, and I’m in denial. Somewhere along the prison corridor, a man smiles and waves. I smile and wave. Oh, now he wants to talk?! This is a friggin’ nightmare!! But, I have faith. My faith says, “Love God, love people, believe as a child, suffer as a king”. Yet in a matter of minutes, I can disobey God (which is contrary to love), hate people, hate
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C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 1
