CNY Inspirations: Inspired by Faith

This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this topic and the author posted on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

I grew up in a Christian household, surrounded by grandparents who were ministers, went to a Christian college, worked in a church for 7 years, and have a master’s degree in theology. Christianity has always been a deeply integral influence that has shaped me into who I am today. However, I sometimes find myself questioning aspects of my religion that have been handed down to me by others. There was often talk about other religions and how they were wrong or at the extreme end, violent.

This created a mindset of superiority or even fear towards other religions over a period of time. But the older I get and the more I surround myself with people who are different from me, I find that they are more like me than I was taught.

The more I talk to others and experience their beliefs, the more I understand that a large portion of humanity believes there is a higher being or creator. Perhaps we are all trying to understand what this power is by creating faith practices to try to explain something that is inexplicable. A dear colleague said last week, “We’re all trying to climb the same mountain, but by different routes.”

This quote has been running through my mind over and over since I heard it. What if we approached religion not with the certainty that we have it figured out, but with an openness for others to improve ours? I am the same Christian today as I was five years ago, but the difference is that I have deepened my own faith by having experiences with Muslims, Jews, Quakers, Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, and many others, which has broadened my view of what a life of faith really is.

Jennie Prouty is the Community Engagement Manager for InterFaith Works in CNY. He has a collective background of 10 years of work for the community. She has degrees in business administration and psychology with a master’s degree in theology with a focus on comparative Abrahamic religions.