On June 22, 2012,
several students were dropped off around noon to start attending the 55th session of the St. Paul’s ASP summer program. It was a
thrilling experience for many as they began their lives at St. Paul’s campus.
The whole campus was immensely large and many pine and oak trees surrounded the
campus. On the opening day, students were required to attend the First Night
Service at Chapel. Considering this, one may reasonably ask: does the Chapel
and First Night Service make people feel welcome, whatever their faith
traditions?
A majority of the
students who attend ASP practice Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Buddhism
is a philosophy that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and
practices largely based on teachings. Hinduism includes a wide spectrum of laws
and prescriptions of daily morality. And finally, Christianity is a monotheistic
based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Grant Edwards,
House Supervisor of Armour feels touched by the magnificent feel of the Chapel.
When I asked him what religion he practiced, I was learned he was Roman
Catholic. Then I asked, “How was the assimilation of Chapel?” and he replied,
“It blended pretty naturally!” He told me that the Chapel was a nice extension
in the morning and it helped him become unified with himself as well as the
environment and cleansed and purified his spirit. I wondered how a person of a
different religion would
feel, rather than a current practitioner of
Christianity.
I was struck that
Matt Maley, a House Intern, had changed from being an atheist to an agnostic. I
had never met a practitioner of Atheism and I was curious about what he
believes in. I asked him his experience as an atheist, to which he replied that
it was a big struggle for him. That day I found out that he grew up Protestant
during his childhood but changed to be an atheist, before becoming agnostic. He
told me “I just do not believe in organized religion. I believe that I
shouldn’t believe in religion and have high expectations.” The thick air was
almost palpable but I asked whether he would want to convert. The sweat dropped
from face but he told me that if he ever finds a religion that believes in his
core principles then he surely would. That day, he gave me some advice. “Trust
yourself and your instincts! The more you trust in yourself, the more you will
believe in your decisions and will stick with them, no matter who discourages
you!” My interview with Matt became more of a conversation than an interview as
I got to give out my personal views as well. The presence of Chapel has made
Matt question his atheism.
To a practicing Christian, Chapel offers some incentive
that makes people reflect on their line of faith. Tim Garrett, a Christian-Methodist, studied in a secular
and non-conforming Christian school.” My next question to Tim was what was his
opinion on Chapel? He replied, “It slows everything down. It is a time for
reflection, prayer, and unity.” It made him believe that even though this is a
rigorous five-week course, he is not doing this by himself. What Tim said was
true and I got deeper and deeper towards the steps of enlightenment.
The diversity on
campus is amazing and brings us all together as one happy family. Everyone
practices different religions on campus and this distinct feature separates us from one another in our daily lives. However, Chapel
brought us together and now we take this new life on together. Almost every
person I talked to said that Chapel brought everything together and made us
appreciate nature, others, and ourselves. As I begin my next journey, I can
truly say that Chapel is a place for all diversities and everyone’s
ideas are welcome. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda states, “Philosophy should
inspire people with a sense of purpose and instill in them the power to lead
life to the fullest.”
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