So in sixth grade, I was confirmed in the Catholic church. You have to understand that Confirmation is not just the beginning of new, adult religious life in the Church, but also the time when your parents can NO longer force you get out of bed for Mass.
I was free. I could finally stop forcing myself to sleep in past 9 to go to Mass (which in retrospect didn’t really matter because there were others at 10, 11, and 5… obviously I wasn’t winning this battle).
Then, of course, my mom presented me with an ultimatum, as I was obviously not going to be falling through the spiritual woodwork…
Altar boy or youth group.
Phoebs (my mom) was not having any of this spiritual slacking and to her credit did give me a certain degree of freedom within the context of her somewhat imperious gesture to keep me going to church. That’s where it all started for me…
So what?
I can say that I’ve read the Bible, the Dhammapada, the Upanishads, Tao Te Ching…and although that doesn’t necessarily make me an expert in religious studies, especially when I was reading these holy books at 12 years old, I always found it fascinating the, not interchangeable, but shocking similarities in divine order across the board. This is by no means to suggest that every religion is exactly same but instead to say that I think we can learn a lot from ourselves by comparing and discussing what we believe with others.
We can learn a lot from what other people have to say, especially when we take a moment to listen with an open heart.
Here’s the thing, when asked now whether or not I believe in God, I always say that life is too short and too much of a miracle to not give way or not be ruled by some higher order…the people we meet, that natural beauty and the suffering we endure in this world all go hand in hand and must point to something more.
Believe; believe in something, and when you do, put it into action. If you don’t believe, take action, and from this you will find some deeper meaning. I find it incredibly shocking that small acts of kindness and generosity are thrown by the wayside in an effort to be bigger, better and more giving. This is not a criticism, but just to say that we forget sometimes to start small.
The little things always make the biggest difference. Smile.
It’s easy to get lost in dogma too; I was born and raised Catholic, believe me, I get it. I have at times been incredibly torn between my religious beliefs and personal convictions. I dissent at times, but also realize that dissenting does not mean giving up, rather, seeking more to truly understand. The more we learn, the less we realize we actually know. Delving deeper, old words, that some take as cliché, come to new life:
Fraternity. Peace. Compassion. Love.
That’s it, take it or leave it this is what life and God on whatever level you choose to conceive him, is all about.
Matt Arancio
U3 Urban Systems Geography, Italian and Economics
Global Opportunity: A Definition
The title and contents of this blog were largely inspired by an exhibition at the Biennale di Venezia. The theme was architecture and the purpose was to discuss who architects would be designing for in the future.
The [global opportunist] was defined as the following:
WORKS on remaining a student for as long as possible
LIVES where his studies take him
CELEBRATES freedom
BELIEVES one day he will settle down. Maybe.
As this seemed like a fairly adequate description of my life at the moment, I took it on as a project to document [global opportunity] in all its forms and hopefully say a thing or two about people, places and life for a new generation in a world of opportunity.
Since obviously I can't presume to speak for everyone, this is meant to be an open forum for discussion, hence the plural [opportunists]. If you are interested in posting your experiences and consider yourself a [global opportunist] as well, give me some time and I'll figure out how to make Blogger do this for all of us.
In the mean time, if you have a story, experience or observation that you wish to share in WHATEVER language, please write to me at:
matthew.arancio@gmail.com
and I will be sure to post it.
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