Spirituality is universal and essential. At our cores, we all have questions. We wonder about who we are, what we are and why we are here. We turn to science and philosophy to answer these questions, but many of us find those answers to be insufficient and hollow. Believing in something greater than the material world gives us a sense of comfort and a clarity of purpose and being.

Christianity is an easy target in America right now. The prevalence of Christonormativity and the impact that that faith has had on our society and government are easy to see. We cannot address racism by hating white people; we cannot correct sexism by hating men. Similarly, we cannot answer centuries of oppressive theocracy by hating the religion that spawned it.

People say this all the time, and it’s true: Christianity teaches love and forgiveness. The real lessons in the New Testament are about tolerance, acceptance, humility and generosity. Christians believe not only that Christ died for their sins, but also that he died for all of our sins. They believe that the best life is a life that is Christ-like: sacrificing, caring, compassionate and firm. The religious institution that has been built around the church has a lot to answer for, but none of it is the fault of the teachings of Christ.

The world needs more love. We need more acceptance, more trust and more faith, not just in God but in one another. “Love they neighbor” is not just a trite phrase, it is a way of life. All of us can learn from the teachings found in the Bible, regardless of our faith or beliefs; the world would be a better place if we were all a bit more Christ-like

Christianity is not the only virtuous religion, though. Most organized beliefs in the world have a lot to teach and a lot to give. If you are going to explore your faith or spirituality, dabble in many cultures. Pick up Tao Te Ching, Taoist text. Read the Old Testament. Study some Buddhism and some Hinduism. Learn about the ancient ways of the old gods of Europe. Explore Islam. If you haven’t studied any religious philosophy, do that, too.

Every faith, every religion has something to teach us. Faith is something that needs to be explored with a thoughtful, curious and open mindset; anything less than that is selling the biggest questions of the world short.