Words have meaning

 What's the difference between a true believer and an ordinary believer?

What's the difference between a person of faith and a faithful person?

What's the difference between a true fact and a fact?

What's the difference between being truthful and truth?

What's the difference between a falsehood and a lie?

What's the difference between belief and superstition?

What's the difference between fanaticism and single-mindedness?

Recently, in the throes of a vigorous conversation about the existence of God, the role of Jesus in the world, conspiracy theories, the bible, the truth that's supposed to set us free, faith and how we train dogs, someone asked me: 'What do you believe in?'

I suspected that this was aimed, at least a little, at the questioner being vindicated in her belief that I lead a somewhat rudderless life and that her 'belief' was 'better' than mine. But there was curiosity there as well.

My beliefs and worldview have changed, inevitably. This has taken many years and is still developing.

So right now:

I believe we are born alone and we die alone.

I believe we are beings of unfathomable potential.

I believe I am part of an ecosystem of love about which I have only stuttering understanding.

I believe that there is only NOW and that the human concept of time is an illusion (but I don't really understand that either).

I believe that the concept of "black-and-white" exists only in our mind.

I believe that accumulating knowledge doesn't give us wisdom.

I believe I am part of an interlaced, throbbing, dynamic energy system and that no 'higher power' has 'oversight' of it. But I believe it's real nevertheless.

I believe that free-will might be an illusion, yet I believe I can choose.

I am an ordinary believer who understands increasingly less.