Wow, of all things I'd never imagined, I never imagined Wicca would increase my understanding of my faith.

Perhaps I should restate. Not Wicca per se, but someone I know who practices it.

I'm an American Baptist, currently attending (when I can wake up -- why oh why no evening services?) church at an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church in Amherst, which means the pastor and I cordially disagree on some minor points of theology, but since I'm Evangelical we don't do so badly, given the Evangelical emphasis on the ultimate authority of the Scriptures and the Baptist tradition of Admitting We Could Be Wrong, But Probably Aren't, But Just In Case, Let's Talk About It Some More.

So several of my friends are Wiccan (I've long since dealt with the fact that, if you are pagan, you'll flock to me. It just happens. I don't know why. I give off good vibes I guess.) And one makes me ashamed. I only wish I put half the energy into being Christian that this person puts into something I consider utterly false. It's like taking a giant hammer to my soul and saying to myself, "You utter idiot! That's not even real! It's not Truth! You have it! And you don't *DO* anything!"

("AHA!" pops in the voice of my pastor's wife. "Negative Self-talk! Stop this instant!")

(Ah, if only I could.)

Jesus asks so little. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 5:43-44 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" And of course, the Golden Rule: Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

And yet sometimes I think I give even less.

Sigh.

Bad me, no bisquit.

1 John 3: 16-24:

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

Suddenly, I don't feel quite so badly after all.