And you will know them by their love.

Yesterday I did something I haven't done in years: willingly and of my own accord, I went to church.

I've been craving a spiritual community for some time, now, and while there are Buddhist centers here in L.A., I realized I wanted something a bit more focused. And I've realized that while being Buddhist has made me a better person, by far, the things I've learned through that practice really fit in quite nicely with what Jesus taught - love one another, commit acts of compassion, respect yourself, recognize that we are all the same (seeking wholeness).

In fact, my understanding of things like kleshas (strong emotions that pull us toward and away from pleasure and suffering - aka clinging and aversion which drive our actions that obscure our innate Buddha essence) help the concept of original sin make sooo much more sense than biting into an ancient apple and blaming it on the woman (yes, I know it's an allegory, but it never worked for me). So what was I saying? Oh yeah.... so my Buddhist practice and background are bringing something new to my Christian heritage. A deeper understanding and a more mature approach to things.

So yesterday I went to my roommate's parish, an Episcopal church. I quite liked the community there (only a handful of people at 8 a.m. mass), and it felt very familiar, actually closer to the mass of my post-Vatican II youth. The Cat'lic Chorch has changed a lot in their Mass, and I feel like I'd barely recognize it. The thing that really got me, though, was the priest's homily, which explained the historical and cultural context of Jesus freaking out in the Temple at the money changers. This pastor knows his stuff, and he makes a point to explain Biblical stories in a way that makes sense to modern people, rather than lecturing us and telling us what terrible sinners we all are. Also, he has forged a very tight relationship with one of the local Jewish Temples. This I like. And indeed, I love that women can become Episcopal priests, and priests don't have to take the vow of celibacy. That's one of my main beefs with the Cat'lic Chorch.

I'm going to continue going there for awhile, at least through Easter, then maybe see what other churches are out there for me to explore. But I think there'd be room for a Christian Buddhist like me in that Episcopal parish. Feels pretty good, renewing this aspect of my spirituality. Just another way that I'm coming back to myself.