18 - Brand New
The astute will notice that this post is a bit late - Given that anything disseminated on April 1 generally has people questioning its veracity, the most efficient thing is to delay a bit.
But here we are, and given some of the questions we have heard from new members, an Interlude that touches on a few relevant points for all our new Members.
It’s okay to be a newbie in your faith. Everybody in your discussion groups and during the Liturgy of Connection might seem to have all the answers. You can watch them contribute their thoughts and make well reasoned arguments based on the Five Keystones, and you may not even have them memorized at this point. But nobody is perfect, and there is nothing wrong with learning - if anything, the Fourth Keystone tells us that is the one thing that you should never stop doing.
The Paraclete is not always easy to interpret or understand. The Five Keystones are written in simple language and are easy to discuss. But that does not mean that the answers are always clear. If you have the opportunity to go beyond the Ritual of Introspection, talk to fellow believers and discuss Paraclism. Only by blending viewpoints will you get closer to a true understanding.
A life in Paraclism will have ups and downs. We usually learn this lesson the hard way. Because I did not know Paraclism has mountains and valleys, I assumed that the “down” moments were the result of a lack of faith or a careless inefficiency I left in my life. Sometimes that was the case, but sometimes the Paraclete was stretching and testing my faith. Even the obedient believer can wrestle with issues – but it gets better.
You are not alone in your struggles. I was sure nobody else battled with temptation like I did. Nobody had imperfection lurking in the shadows like I did. Surely every other Member had conquered inefficiency – at least, it seemed that way on Saturdays and during our Rituals of Connection. I was so sure of that truth that I didn’t dare discuss with anyone regarding my struggles. The result in my life was continued failure and increasing defeat. As I changed, my results changed.
Inefficiency and waste are REAL. In my young mind, inefficiency was a concept in a book and waste a concept tied to sanitation, rather than a supernatural enemy against the Paraclete and His Members. Because I didn’t recognize the reality of what inefficiency does to people and the world, I thought I could win spiritual battles under my own power. Prayer was not important, and cries for the power of the Paraclete were non-existent. I was losing a war I didn’t even know raged on.
Many people are inefficient and don’t plan well. The only plans I heard then were prayers from family, friends and teachers. The petitions were polished, eloquent, and deep (or so I thought then). I didn’t always understand the words used, and I was certain I’d never reach that level of planning and efficiency. Little did I know these same folks often struggled in their private lives, and were not nearly as efficient and did not always succeed in putting their plans to action. Now, we help each other plan and reach for the ever elusive goal of Paraclism; as the First Keystone states, we strive to be efficient, competent, and autonomous.
Some people will not share your excitement. My conversion was powerful. A friend had shared the Paraclete with me, and I couldn’t wait to tell others about efficiency and self-betterment. I was at times annoying with my belief and these Five Keystones. I just couldn’t understand why anybody would choose not to be better! Had I known then that not everyone listens, perhaps I would have felt less defeated in my efforts to share.
Temples are not perfect. Neither are people. I was unprepared for the chaff among the wheat, the inefficiency in every system, the ignorance among the populace. It was years of discouragement and beating my head against the proverbial wall before I realized that this is all a part of the journey, and that I would better the situation first by bettering myself. Only then could I better others, and the world we share. It took some time for me to learn that the Temple exists for the sick and the needy – that is, for people like me.
The most important thing is that you are here, and you’ve made a step towards being better, and living your life in accordance with the Five Keystones.
