…And I’m not talking about Bette Midler.
I’m a c-word.
Not that c-word. I’m a Christian, which nowadays generates a response similar to the one I imagine I would receive if I announced that I host Klan rallies and dogfights in my backyard.
Perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit, but it’s no secret that those who profess allegiance to organized religion are increasingly considered social pariahs. For the most part, I completely understand the disdain; throughout history people have committed some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity in the name of religion.
That said, this article isn’t an advertisement for organized religion, and I won’t be concluding with an appeal for you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. That’s not why I’m here. This is the first of a series of articles I’ll be writing as I embark on a quest to find out how true faith is nurtured and practiced in a city notoriously superficial.
Every year thousands move to Los Angeles in search of something. For most, it’s validation in the form of attention, adulation, and disposable income. Between the people chasing fabulous lives and those whose lives are fabulous, Los Angeles is home to some of the shallowest people around. And if that weren’t enough, gang members outnumber the wildlife (that’s a joke because we don’t have wildlife here and the women who get too much surgery and end up looking like cats don’t count) and violence plagues the famous horizon.
Before you send hate mail, make no mistake that I love this city. Los Angeles is where I call home. The weather is unmatched, the diversity is ideal, and you can’t help but to love a place that gives birth to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. My previous critique was only to set the stage for my thesis: while every negative stereotype can be confirmed in one afternoon on the Santa Monica Promenade, amidst the excess and envy, privilege and poverty, perpetrators and narcissists LA is home to some of the most sincerely faith-driven people you could ever hope to know.
Whether it’s because of the aforementioned conditions or in spite of them, the people of this city seem to be quietly and collectively searching for something more. Something eternal. As I walk the narrow road myself, I find I am continuously crossing paths with others who are on the same journey. Not always in the same direction or by the same means, but all looking to the same end.
I will report back weekly on how we, Los Angelinos, find God (or the Source of all things) and live with profound purpose. Think of me as Dorothy on her way to Oz, joining up with a cast or characters all headed to the see The Wizard. Except without the flying monkeys.
2 responses so far ↓
1 GG // Jun 25, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Fascinating subject. I look forward to reading more and to learning what you find in your quest. Good luck. Don’t get sucked into the Juicy side.
2 Katrina // Jul 2, 2008 at 8:30 am
An insightful prologue to what I anticipate to will be a captivating series of articles.
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