I read blogs like some people channel surf.  One mind numbing blog after another.  I can do it for hours.  On all sorts of different topics.  It’s honestly ridiculous.  And it is one of the reasons I encourage people I know to get blogs.  Because if I’m going to waste the entire evening reading people’s random opinions, I want them to be people I know’s random opinions (waving at Crystal ).

So I’m reading this blog and particularly this post.  And I think it’s beautiful.  I don’t know why exactly, but it touched me.  Maybe because I honestly find the ending of relationships so very fascinating.  Much more fascinating than the beginning of relationships. 

And in this particular post she talks about spirituality, which is another winner in my book.  Especially the discussion of when, where and how the spiritual melts in with the everyday.  About the conflicts that exist when you’re celebrating a holiday, and the desire to “get things done”.  Especially when you’re trying to distract yourself.

In the post she says,

This is also the time that I start gearing up for Yom Kippur, which comes in a week. Yom Kippur is about being sorry for not being nice to other people, so I try to fix as much as I can in the next week so I can be less sorry.

I think she “explains” Yom Kippur (which I know nothing about) the same way we “explain” Christmas (”It’s the day Jesus was born”) or Easter (”It’s the day Jesus died”).  It’s a general statement.  It doesn’t go into the deep theological themes because it doesn’t have to.  The point is, in my opinion, that something about Yom Kippur makes her want to be nicer.  Fair enough.

Someone comments, very nicely, about how they’re a Christian, and they know a lot about Judaism (which it sounds like this person does).  This person goes on to let her know that she was kinda wrong about what Yom Kippur is, and goes into a pretty lengthy comment about the true definition of Yom Kippur.

I’m all about being informed, but I get pretty aggravated with things like this.  It comes off as only wanting to be “right”, wanting to show everyone in the world how you have the more perfect answer to questions that aren’t even being asked!

What really gets me is that this happens so much in religion, Christianity being one of those religions.  Where people are more concerned about getting you to think the “right” way about any given religious topic (sin, salvation, the mystery of the trinity, etc.) than really listening to what the person is asking or needing. 

I guess I’m just tired of information.  I’d much rather have connection.  I’d much rather know about who Penelope wants to be nicer to, how she is going to go about making that happen, how has she not been nice, than I am on giving her a history lesson on Jewish holidays.

*I realize and appreciate that studying subjects, like the meaning of the holidays we celebrate, can cultivate a greater love and appreciation for said subject, but I’m just tired of information.  Too much of it.  I’m tired of it.