what is religion?

i'm stealing this from Oxygen (one of my healthier addictions):

DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

Jesus Christ said he had never been to a football match. So we took him to one, my friends and I. It was a ferocious battle between the Protestant Punches and the Catholic Crusaders.

The Crusaders scored first. Jesus cheered wildly and threw his hat high up into the air. Then the Punchers scored. And Jesus cheered wildly and again threw his had into the air.

This seemed to puzzle the man behind us. He tapped Jesus on the shoulder and asked, "Which side are you shouting for, my good man?"

"Me?" replied Jesus, by now visibly excited by the game. "Oh! I'm not shouting for eitehr side. I'm just here to enjoy the game."

The questioner turned to his neighbour and sneered. "Hmmm, an atheist."

On the way back we briefed Jesus on the religious situation of the world today. "It's funny about religious people, Lord," we said. "They always seem to think that God is only on their side and against the people on the other."

Jesus agreed. "That is why I don't back religions. I back people," he said. "People are more important than religions. Man is more important than the Sabbath."

"You ought to watch your words," one of us said with concern. "You were crucified once for saying that sort of thing, you know."

"Yes, and by religious people," said Jesus with a wry smile.

- De Mello (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Who do you back?

the dream

someone: are you happy?
me: hmm? yeah, i should guess so.
someone: how happy are you?
me: erm... moderately?
someone: then what margin remains between your current happiness and true, complete happiness is what you need to wake up for.

me wakes up. and goes, "whoa..."

the legend of the moon crystals

have you ever glimpsed a moonbeam in a starless nightsky? the beauty of that clear streak of purest light striking upon the upturned palm... can only inspire within the heart of hearts, that purest desire to capture a moonbeam.

but how can one go about fulfilling such a fantasy? only if it is not fantasy!

for it is rumoured that, during the cold war, those pesky Russians decided to test some nuclear bombs - on the moon! they did it so covertly that even though they beat the Americans in landing a man on the moon, they hid that fact silently. all so that they could detonate one of humankind's most devious inventions on the ethereal moonscape.

but little did they know that this ghastly act were to profit mankind intensely! for once the unholy explosion shattered part of the moon's crystalline crust, a cluster of moon fragments fell straight towards the earth!

as each pristine moonrock pierced the earth's sullen atmosphere, the heat thus generated caused the fragments to crystallise - the first moon crystals henceforth came to be. these corporeal bits of the moon then dispersed throughout the world, only to be found by those with the purest hearts.

and one such being did exist! the purest of all god's creation - a lovely maiden from the faraway land of Melancholy... princess lynn chanced upon one such fragment in the deepest full moon night.

"o enchanting crystal... how didst thou find me?" she said with sweet surprise as she knelt around the moon crystal.
"thou art the fairest and purest of earth's kingdoms, and it is your presence that causeth my manifestation." the moon crystal replied in melodious chorus.
"prithee flatter me not, for i dare not accept such titles amid my country's sad circumstances."
"tell me, princess, how be it that you call this land sad?"
"we are besieged by evil forces everywhere! greed, lust, and depravity surround our tiny nation! they toil daily to break our city's walls, and my countrymen are falling ill from their vicious attacks... my father too has fallen ill, and Melancholy shall soon cease to be..."
"fear not, milady! for tonight the moon shines upon us full and clear! raise me above your shoulders, so i may capture the moonbeams!"

lost in her tears, princess lynn nonetheless obliges, praying and hoping that this mysterious rock may somehow comfort her kingdom's myriad sorrows. but once the moon crystal came in contact with the full moonshine, something quite astonishing happened...

the moon crystal started to pulsate with colours more vibrant than any daytime rainbow, and figures of light came projected from its beaming surface. in a moment, the crystal began to hum a strangely familiar tune, whilst the sky began to open in a flood of moonshine. then, all of god's angels became present, singing in perfect harmony the songs of grace.

"my sweet child, your sincerity has reached the heavens, and the angels from the moon are here to protect your wishes." the moon crystal intones. "they will go with you on your mission to alleviate your citizens' misery, and henceforth Melancholy shall be called Tranquility."

and so the guardian angels from the moon descended upon every household, tasked to protect each individual everyday for the rest of their lives. as for the delicate princess, she was brought to the moon together with the moon crystal, where her sorrow was finally ameliorated, where her luminescent beauty shone forth for all to see every full moon night.