Standing in a Garage
Going to church no more makes you a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car.
~ Garrison Keillor
And going to bløts no more makes you Heathen than standing in a garage makes you a car.
Showing up is a start, but then what do you do with the experience afterward? Did you learn something to share? Did you learn something about yourself that you can work with to make a change? Were you moved to a new level of connection with your kindred, community, or deities that prompted you to make or renew a commitment?
Showing up, singing songs, and passing the horn is fun, but fun is not the only goal—you could go to the movies or play miniature golf if your only aim is fun.
We spend time in ritual, in study groups, in other community activities to learn from each other, to learn about ourselves, our gods, and other entities, and to learn about what being Heathen looks like on a daily basis in real time and real life. We find ways to manifest our values in our words and actions, so that what we say and do is congruent with our beliefs. We do better at being the people we aspire to be, and do better at inspiring others to be their best selves.
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