Monday, September 8, 2014
Living in a bubble
Years ago an old buddy of mine married into a different religion. Saturday, some other friends, and my wife and I went to his son's wedding reception. We were from outside the bubble. Members of the religion are pretty self contained with an extensive support network. They even have their own popular entertainment. My friend's wife freely admits they are living in a bubble. (and that's the way they like it)
The reception was a bit different that what most people expect, but we still had a good time. They are all nice people and we did joke together about “the bubble.”
Later it occurred to me that us living outside the religious bubble have no reason to feel smug. We all have our own bubbles that influence how we think. There's the middle class bubble where certain things are taken as normal. There's the bubble created by those who only have scientific view of the world. Even one's language isolates people from those in a different language bubble. Culture, tradition, habit, association, upbringing -there are so many things that form a bubble around people, isolating them from everything else.
It's normal to form associations with like minded people. It's easy to find oneself in a bubble. However, I think we all benefit when those bubbles are permeable. Rather than those bubbles bouncing off each like they are hard and solid boundaries, it's best when bubbles can mingle. The more we mingle with groups outside our safe bubble, the better we understand others.
I only hope my attendance at the reception didn't reflect too badly on those of us outside their bubble.
-Sixbears
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I'm sure you represented us well. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know, you haven't seen me dance. :)
DeleteBubbles unfortunately have a habit of busting.
ReplyDeleteA shame really...
Ha ha!
DeleteIts the bouncing of the bubble's participants which makes Life interesting. Religion does make for 'interesting' discussions / debates. We don't recognize that the paths may differ, but the destination is the same.
ReplyDeleteMy dancing has been described as . . . umm . . . interesting too, you are in good company.
Good to know I'm in good company. At least we have fun.
DeleteMy "bubble" has spikes all over it. . . (grin) Just kidding, maybe.
ReplyDeletemaybe. :)
DeleteWe know many people from different religions, ethnicity and practices, they are loving, kind and sweet to us..Peaceful and non-judgmental..I left organized religion a long time ago when the religion I was forced to practice told me I would be going to Hell for associating with others not in my religion, for goodness sakes my own Father was not of the religion of my Mother he tolerated a lot of foolishness when we attended religious schools, but when my Mother passed from this earth and the church was not that how can I say kindly at all about my Mother's death, that was it for me, we no longer went to the school and to tell you the plain truth I was relieved who believes in Hell and Damnation anymore and only giving to the church and never receiving anykind of kindness and civility, they knew my Father would never join so they just acted like yahoos - my hubs is if a certain small religion in this country I have found the people he is from the best in all of the USA, they take care of their people in anytime of anykind of happenings in their life..They are honest, kind and true, I say it is how you trerat people all people which shows what you really believe in, and few who attend churches, etc, in the USA display that KARMA IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED...I think one can learn from many fellow human beings who live on this terra firma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's not that faith that one proclaims but the way they live that matters.
Delete