A Christian friend once invited me to a church service.
It is vastly different from
the Catholic mass I was raised and accustomed to. When I walked into the church, I observed all members of the congregation exchanged greetings in a polite manner. Women and men shook hands. They also did the Filipino honoring gesture called "pagmamano" among the elderly in the group. And, because it was my first time attending the service, every woman came to me and shook my hand. That wasn't until later that I realized it was their way of welcoming first-timers like me. Following that, they talked about events from the previous week in their life and the church service began. I closely listen to a pastor's sermon, mixed emotions and thoughts came to me. There were various teachings delivered, such as God's commandments and how God may improve one's life, but the testimony of God's love and mercy were the most impactful for me. It was incredibly heart-warming and enlightening. It changed my perspective on things and inspired me to be more compassionate and forgiving. Also, they don't just merely sing particular songs; they close their eyes and place their hands in their hearts like they are speaking and emptying their feeling through it and like it symbolize the contents of their hearts and souls. From my inter-culture experience, I realized it was more than a religion or weekly practice to which members conformed and followed. It's a celebration of life. Giving thanks for all that has been done and for all that is still to come.