"It will be whatever it is, no? Nothing, something--our believing one thing or another will matter not at all in the end."
This line and the truth in it jumped out at me as I was reading.
Beliefs are by definition ideas which we are unsure about. Despite our obvious uncertainty we are cultured to hold our beliefs, whether these are harmless fancy, racial prejudice or religious dogma, very tightly, as if our world and life will fall apart if we stray from what we believe. And knowledge and emotion can be the opponent of our beliefs. Contrary truths that we discover, forbidden love that we find--or do these both find us?--can erode our beliefs like wind and rain break down mountains. And this is good news for anyone whose ever had a bad idea.
Beliefs are ultimately not a part of reality, are they? They're pseudo-observations, and though we technically know not to give them power of actual observations, we sometimes want to give them a greater power, that of a blind faith that trumps all we know and feel. But our beliefs, however strong we hold them, don't shape the afterlife, if there is such a thing. It will be what it is regardless of our quick strut upon the stage.
But our beliefs are profoundly important because they guide our actions - which shape our present, which is our shared life together on this planet. As I think about what sort of beliefs foster a culture of care and co-operation, two come to mind as integral.
1. My life is good.
My life is worth living. Living is the point of it. Life connects me to the world - to God, the Creator, to the creative intention behind What Is. As a member of creation the divine spark is in me. As one surrounded by creation, the divine spark is all around me.
2. People are good.
They are like me. See above. They are what my life connects me to. They are each as important as me. Each enriches my life, the life of the world, in a way that I cannot perceive or fathom. But for an accident of birth I could be my neighbor.
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