My family, community and culture has significantly shaped and influenced my worldview. I grew up in a Christian conservative black household. I was sent to a private Christian school, and I regularly attended church services multiple times a week. This shaped my worldview without me even knowing it. Sometimes I knew, but as I look back, there were opinions that I formed without me even knowing, realizing, and processing that I had formed these opinions. It was because of the people that I was around and the culture of the surrounding community that set the standard of what was right and what was wrong when it came to most aspects of life, especially religion. I was introduced to Christianity very early in life and joined the church early on as well. This is because as I was introduced to the Bible, and understood the Bible more and more, I truly believed in what I was doing. This could have been because I had limited knowledge of the world at the time, and it could have been because I wanted to please my parents, family, and friends, but it felt like I was making this decision on my own. Additionally, as I got older, I grew in my knowledge of Christianity, how it applied to my life, and how it affected the world around me. However, since I was in a small Christian school, I still had a very limited view of the subject and a limited view on the world. Everyone in the school practically thought the same and fed into the same ideology. Sometimes this was a good thing and sometimes this was a bad thing. Sometimes this referred to helping others, and sometimes this referred to politics, and it frequently divided people and I never fully understood why. There came a time during my junior year of high school where I had to stop and ask myself, if I really believed the things that had been taught to me or if I was just agreeing with the community around me. I had to really analyze the things that I had been taught and focus on what the Bible was teaching vs. what those around me were advertising. While there was a lot of overlap, there was some disconnect as well. There were topics that instead of deriving the solution from scripture, instead, a solution was proposed, and scripture was then used to defend it. There were many debates and polarizing topics brought up not only in everyday life but even in class. The two sides of the debate soon ventured away from two students having a conversation/argument, but it evolved into a group of students using God to defend their thoughts, while other students didn't have as much of a focus on God. Therefore, the debates seemed to be God vs. man. As a person who maybe didn't know the complete right answer or hadn't made their mind up on the particular subject yet, how could you not choose the side of God when you were taught that the things of God were always correct with no exceptions?

I feel like I don't really have many deep questions that weigh on my mind on a typical basis. I rely on my faith to handle many of the deep questions that usually weigh on the minds of others. The typical questions like, "What happens after we die", or "What is my purpose", or even "why would a good God let bad things happen to good people?". All of these questions have already pretty much been asked and answered as I grew up in the church. I know that God is sovereign and he is always in control. I know that my purpose in life is to serve Him and bring Him glory in whatever it is I do. I know that after death, I will spend the rest of eternity in heaven with Him. And I know that bad things happen as a result of sin entering the world. Even though people may be good, we all are sinful and we have fallen short of God's standard of perfection. Despite this, He sent His only Son to save us from the inevitable eternity of separation that we would have had to endure due to sin. Now we have the opportunity to be with Him in heaven for the rest of time. This would not even have been possible if it weren't for the grace and mercy God showed towards us. These are the key things that I have been taught all throughout my childhood and have been reinforced to me in adulthood. There are times where I wonder if my faith is correct and if I'm practicing the 'right religion', but this is where faith comes into play. There are some things that you can't prove or assign an experiment to in order to gain more information. You simply must believe and have faith.

The first symbol that came to mind was the cross. As I've mentioned before in these journals, I grew up in a Christian home - Baptist to be more specific, and I went to a nondenominational private Christian school from 2nd grade to 12th grade. So this symbol came up a lot and continues to come up a lot in my life even now as I go to a Catholic college. When I was younger, I knew that this was the way Jesus died. I knew this is how he was killed, and that it was really painful way to die. As I got older, I understood more and more about this symbol. Not only did Jesus die on this cross, but His death on this cross was extremely important to our faith. Jesus died on this cross in order for our sins to be washed away. So in order for us to spend eternity with God in heaven, Jesus had to die on this cross. Therefore, the cross is a sign of reverence and sadness for the brutal death that Jesus had to endure. But it is also a symbol of joy, happiness, and a reminder of how much God loves us. As I got older, this symbol inspired me to live according to my values because since Jesus died this awful death that He ultimately did not deserve, because of my sins, I should be thankful and worship Him for that ultimate sacrifice. It inspires me to want to live a life like Him in order to please Him and God the Father for paying the price of my sins. It is also interesting how my Christian school/family depicts the cross vs. my Catholic school which uses a crucifix. I always heard that it's important to only use the cross because it reminds us that he is no longer on the cross and that he has resurrected with all power, and now He is with the Father in heaven interceding for us. However, now that I am in College at a Jesuit Catholic institution and I see the crucifixes everywhere, I am able to appreciate how gruesome that death was. I am able to reflect more on how my sins really affected Christ as he was brutally murdered. It's a different appreciation I have for this symbol and I feel like it keeps me more accountable as I strive to continue to grow in my faith. However, I don't know if I would have had this same appreciation of the crucifix if I had always grown up with it. It's definitely possible that I would have grown numb to it and not paid it much more attention as I got into College.

Ultimately, I think there are two situations that could arise when someone sees representations or symbols that do not reflect their unique identity or struggle. I have personally gone through this a lot in my own life being a black male. At first, especially when I was younger, I didn't think anything of it. I grew up around many people who did not look like me, and I was used to this. I was comfortable in this different setting because this was all I knew and this was normal to me. However, when I got older, I started to become more self-aware and wondered why there was such a significantly less amount of representation for black people in many symbols. I made me wonder what the true 'norm' was and if there was a specific type of people that was the 'standard'. It's not the best feeling, and I know that if I were to have dived deeper into that feeling, I would have had more issues with identity and I didn't want to experience that more, so I just accepted the world for what it was. A bit skewed with a lack of representation. I think these two feelings could be applied to anyone who isn't a part of the large majority of people who create symbols in any culture or society. It is a feeling of exclusion and confusion, and this could even lead to sadness. I think that having this understanding can help someone relate to others because it shows them that they are seen for their experience and that the popular symbol/example might not apply to them or it might apply in different ways. This would lay the groundwork for visibility and make them feel empowered to share their stories if trust is gained.

The first and greatest example I can think of when initally hearing this topic is the self-sacrifice Jesus made when He died on the cross. According to the Christian faith, Jesus was sent to live a perfect life and then to die a terrible death on the cross in order to be the replacement for us due to our sins. As a result of Christ dying on the cross, many Christians believe that they are to live a life that is pleasing unto God and to do as Jesus did throughout His life, serving others and glorifying God the Father. This is a personal experience for me because this is what I grew up believing. When I first became a Christian and learned about the faith, it seemed very set on rules and good works. Follow these commandments, adhear to the teachings of the Bible, and then you will be rewarded by being able to go to heavan. However, as I grew older, I realized that this was not the right reason we should be doing the right thing. We follow the teachings of the Bible and try to live our lives like Christ because of the ultimate sacrifice He made for us. Because of this sacrifice, we should want to praise Him and serve Him because He saved us from an eternity separated from God. For me and others who grew up similar to me, this affects my understanding of responsibility towards others because it shapes our entire worldview. Our motives, the way we interact with others, the way we set goals, and strive to achieve them are all because of our worldview.

Think about influences of popular religious practices, devotions, or piety that have shaped your life. This could include things like family rituals, community events, folk traditions, or personal beliefs that may not be tied to formal religious institutions.

The best example I can think of is the celebration of Christmas. Although Christmas is traditionally a religious holiday celebrating the birth of Christ, its significance has expanded into a broader practice of community and connection. For my family, Christmas is a time of coming together to share a meal, exchange gifts, and reflect on the past year. This gathering is not just about the religious aspect but also about being present for one another, expressing gratitude, and creating a sense of togetherness.

After our meal, we make time to sit together and share what we are thankful for over the past year. This practice goes beyond religious rituals, inviting reflection on the blessings and lessons each of us has experienced. We often incorporate Biblical teachings, connecting these reflections to values of love, faith, and family, which helps us maintain a spirit of gratitude throughout the year. This annual gathering fosters a deep sense of community, highlighting the importance of family and support, no matter the challenges each year brings.

Gift-giving also plays a significant role in our celebration, not just as an exchange of items, but as a way to express care and acknowledgment. It’s a meaningful tradition that goes beyond materialism to embody thoughtfulness and generosity. The act of giving has taught me to uplift those around me, reinforcing that our bonds extend beyond holiday rituals.

Even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted these traditions, gathering virtually to share a meal and reflect on our blessings despite the distance. This experience showed me that the heart of these celebrations lies in maintaining connections and supporting one another, even in difficult times. The pandemic reinforced the resilience of our traditions and our commitment to being there for each other.

As I look forward to starting my own family one day, I want to continue these traditions. They have shaped my understanding of community, resilience, and gratitude, showing me that, despite life’s challenges, there will always be moments to come together and celebrate what we have. This influence has been a defining part of my life, teaching me that family and community are built on shared values and moments of connection, regardless of circumstances.

I have experienced this a few times in life, most often, I experience this feeling through music. There have been times when I listen to a choir, or a group of musicians play a song and it is beautiful. Many times they are singing worship music or hymns, but there have been times when the melody and harmonies were just so perfect that it made me stop and really appreciate their talent. Another time that I have experienced beauty is when I was hiking with friends in western Virginia. After a while of hiking, we got to the top of a mountain and were able to see far out into the forest. Seeing nothing but mountains for as far as the eye could see, and the tops of these huge trees once again caused me to pause and just take in the beauty that was around me. In both cases, it made me appreciate nature in one case the nature around me and in another case, the natural phenomenon of music and sound. In the context of spirituality, it made me think of how small I am and how God still cares for me. He created everything around us and sustains it all, and at the same time He is invested in my life and has a plan for me.

The biggest takeaway from the video was that indigenous people view the earth as a member of their community. Many different components of the earth are considered to be ancestors of the indigenous people. This reaffirmed my prior knowledge of indigenous people because I knew how much they cared for the earth and how much they strive to live sustainable and resourceful lives. However, the other big takeaway that I got from the video was just how harmful non-indigenous people are to the environment and how this ends up affecting indigenous people and how they worship. For example, the dams built to give non-indigenous people energy result in the killing of an important endangered species of fish that some indigenous groups consider to be ancestors. This also causes a large increase in pollution levels, which negatively impacts the earth and therefore negatively impacts the indigenous groups. Lastly, I thought it was interesting how the video included the fact that some non-indigenous/governmental powers work to help some indigenous groups. They talked about how there is a forrest that has even more trees than before thanks to legislation that was passed to be sure that people are selectively cutting down specific trees in the most environmentally friendly fashion to ensure that more trees are able to grow and that we are not destroying the forrest. If we had more legislation such as this that payed more attention to the earth, not only would this benefit many different indigenous groups, but it would also help us to preserve the earth in general, which benefits us all.

When I think of patriotism, I do get a sense of pride, but then I also think I get more complex feelings afterwards. I have an initial sense of pride because I consider myself to be an American and I am grateful for all the blessings and privileges that come with that title. The USA has a lot of power in the world and we have a strong reputation as a nation, and it's a privilege to not have to worry about safety like some citizens of other countries might. However, after this initial sense of pride, I also feel a sense of confusion. I know that not everyone is entitled to the same privileges and rights as American citizens and so it's hard sometimes to be proud of that. Ultimately, it just comes down to advocating for change within the country, but still loving the country that you are in because you are able to be an advocate. This absolutely gets difficult because oftentimes we may not feel heard or we may feel that nothing will ever change, but we still have to keep our goal in mind while recognizing that this is still a great place to live. The biggest thing that shapes my sense of loyalty to my country is my religion and my personal value of freedom. However, the thing that makes me feel like I don't have as many privileges as others is my race. Furthermore, I see others at disadvantages because of other characteristics such as race, sexual orientation, or disability status and I know they are going through a similar situation if not even more complex and difficult.