I was raised in a
very conservative, very religious home.
As Christians, our lives literally revolved around the church. As my
mother used to say to my father "we're at church any time the doors are
open". And that was true.
Both of my parents served as Deacons and Elders.
My mother, at a time when it was unusual for a woman to serve in those
positions in a church, was very proud when she was appointed an Elder. You'd have thought
she'd been elected President.
Once I went away to
college, I latched onto my freedom like I was drowning. You can probably imagine the scene. Utter chaos.
Fast forward 35
years - I've floated in and out of church, church-hopped, even
explored other faiths. I've always been intrigued with faith, in general. It is fascinating to me. Most of my
ancestors are Baptists down to their very core. My early ancestors were
Quakers. What a beautiful way to live!
I've attended Catholic services and marveled at the tradition and beauty
of the faith. I understand the Muslim faith to be just that - a gentle, peace-loving faith.
I've read a great number of books
about Judaism and am stunned by the persecution and resilience. I'm
particularly drawn to art and museum exhibits around Judaism. Always have been.
Now I know why.
Because my
biological father was Jewish.
We're finally
getting to the point of this conversation. I was raised Gentile but Jewish
blood flows through me. I felt it but
didn't know what to call it. It's kind of like
looking for your glasses only to discover they are on top of your head. I have
no plans to convert. But I am so drawn to the Jewish culture, I may adopt it in
slivers. Is it wrong to use the culture
as a buffet of traditions? Probably.
I'm wondering what
others did when they discovered the greatly unknown flitted around their DNA - whether
it's a faith, a culture, or just another geographic dot on the map. Did they
embrace it or ignore it?
DNA testing. The
gift that keeps on giving.