It

It's Simple! - But NOT So Simple!

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On the plane from Czcheck to Russia, I was sitting near a young lady.

- You speak English?
She smiled : "Of course! I'm from Victoria, California"
- Oh! Great! You go to Russia?
- Yes! You, too?
- Yes! Just for a tour in some countries in Eastern Europe that were under the communist government.
- As for me, I come back for the second time, not for a visit but for a mission

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"Mission!?" I said to myself, more or less being aware of my tentative talking to her.
Lunch was served. I made a sign of cross. She looked at me : "you're Christian?"
- More than Christian, Catholic! You?
- Christian!
We laughed...

After a few words of self introducing to eachother, it seems that everyone feels more comfortable talking and sharing...
She is a 19 year old student attempting to learn different languages: German, Italian and Russian, "for a mission of not quite a Denomination but of the Church of the Missionaries (?) that has branches in different countries, especially in Germany, Italy and Russia. I'm living in each country for about 3 or 4 months, learning language of each country."

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- As a catholic, she said, what do you believe?
Surprisingly looking at her, I tried to answer her with a really humorous tone : "In God, of course!" And we laughed together.
- As a Christian, I said, do you believe in Mary, we call her "The Most Blessed Virgin Mother of God"?
This time she looked at me as like as to examine my attitude. Still friendly smiling, she answered : "why yes! we do believe it! But to tell the truth, what does it matter 'virgin mother' or 'not virgin mother'?"
We laughed again...

After a brief sharing about faith, work of faith, and "mission"... I told to her:

- For me, my concept of human beings, of faith, is a little bit simple: we all believe in God the Creator. Whatever name you call this Creator. Let's say God, Sky, Supreme One, or something else. There is ONE Creator, and only one. We all are created, His creatures.

Thus, religion, for me, consists in two parts.
1. One: relationship between Creator and created;
2. Two: relationship between created and created.
Isn't it simple?

- Yes! it's simple! She replied

A few seconds later, we both shouted at the same time: "But it's NOT so simple!"
Laugh and big five...

- Why yes! I said, NOT so simple! Do you know why it's NOT so simple?

She replied, almost promptly : "the politicians, the theologians, the philosophers... make it NOT so simple!"