P is for Paths

I think that one of the wonderful things about paganism is how everyone comes to it in a different way. Some come from a difficult situation in another religion. Some come out of a search for a world view that fits with their own. Some now are being born and raised in a pagan household.

All of our experiences are a little bit different. We all believe slightly different things. We are all in different places in our practices. It is wonderful that paganism allows us to walk these different "paths".

But now the question becomes, "Where are these paths leading us."

I am not referring to what happens when we die. That is part of the believing different things.

I wonder if we can ever pull our paths together to create a community. That appears to be a hot button issue right now across the pagan blogs and websites. And it is something that I think about. I have to admit I don't have a lot of real world experience in this area. Right now I am looking at the pagan community through the computer screen. And some of what I read about makes me nervous. I know with all groups there will be bickering. I know that not everyone will agree with everything. And I know that what I see through the internet is just a small part of what is going on.

What I hope is that people are going to be willing to work together.
I hope that we are going to be working toward a future where people are not afraid to "come out of the broom closet".
I hope we are headed toward a place where bickering is put aside to work toward a common goal.
I hope we have a group or groups of people that are willing to stand up and take charge when needed.
I hope we don't only focus on the spiritual side of things. We should do things here in the physical world. Build things (centers, business, etc.) and show positive character to world around us.

It is going to take time. It is going to take commitment. It is going to take money. It is going to take some people learning a new set of skills. It is going to take people (including myself) coming out from behind computer screens and their own personal bubbles. It is going to take those people saying "I am pagan (or what ever your 'path' is). I am here. I am ready to put the little things that separate us aside. I am ready to create a community and a future for us."

I hope our paths eventually converge. And when the do, I hope they have lead us to a place where we are all still individual, but united toward creating a wonderful future.