I hate talking about religion because I feel it just leads people to make assumptions and they look at people completely different. I don't let people's religious views effect my friendship with them. To me, I have my views and you have yours. I usually just tend to drown out religious debates in classes.
I am Catholic and went to Catholic schools from kindergarten to senior year of high school. I just kind of went with the flow throughout grade school and middle school. Towards the end of middle school I hated going to church. I'd find excuses not to go and by the time I was a sophomore my parents stopped making me go. My senior year of high school I went on the senior retreat my school offered. It re-established my relationship with God but I still hated going to church. I would go every once in a while but I didn't go every weekend. My retreat made me realize that, for me, going to church doesn't make me a bad person. I just have a different way of expressing my love for God.
A couple weeks ago I went to a concert, Sleeping Giant was the band that was playing. They booked the show the day before and I saw them earlier this year and they really got my attention and I loved their show. They are a Christian hardcore band. There are A LOT of Christian hardcore bands but Sleeping Giant is totally different. Everything they do or sing about is for God and about God. I have never been to such an emotional show. It was the best experience I have ever had at a show. I have been to a ton of shows and this one takes the cake. The singer was telling stories about his life and how they live for God. I have never had goosebumps at a show like I did at this show. Towards the end of the show you could tell the show was effecting everyone. As they were getting ready to play their last song the singer said, "If you want to lay down, lay down. If you want to jump, JUMP! Do what ever you want to do. But, if you want to hide, DON'T." They began to play and played the song for literally 30 minutes which was incredible. About halfway through the singer fell to the floor and was lying. A kid ran up and put his arm around him and they were talking. He got back up and started dancing and everyone at the show was dancing and singing along. It was amazing. The whole time i was watching I was holding back tears. Towards the end of the song I couldn't hold it anymore and it felt like tears of joy. It was such a great feeling to hear the music and it really re-established my connection with God again. After the show I went up to the singer and gave him a hug and told him that I needed that and he said me too man and had the biggest smile on his face. It really made me so happy after that show.
It made me realize that I express my love for God through music. I live for music. Everything I do, I try and relate to music. All my friends know me as "their music friend." They always come to me to find out new bands. I don't feel like I have to go to church to show my love for God. I have other ways in doing it such as through music.
This is a video that shows kind of what the show was like. I don't expect anyone to watch it unless you really want to sit and watch this for 10 minutes. My favorite quote from the video is, "this is where the hardcore show is over and where the real hardcore show begins." I love it so much.
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