Holy Daze

Easter must be getting nearer, and I would forget sometimes if it weren't for the newspapers and advertisements telling me so. For this weeks newspapers are full of ads reading "Join us during Holy Week", "Holy Week and Easter 2008", and the schedules for the Church Palm Sunday, Blessing of Palms and the Holy Eucharist and watch through the night, Good Friday, liturgy of the passion, Holy Saturday, in celebration of our lord's resurrection and children's Easter egg hunt, Saturday anticipated mass, Sunday masses, morning prayer, closing of adoration, stations of the cross, solemn Easter vigil, Good Friday Blues, Peace Now Concert, Easter Day: the day of resurrection, procession with strings, brass, piano, organ, full bands, handbells, children's choir and the list of church events goes on and on. And this Holy Week thing is making me wonder, are churches the most segregated congregated places on planet earth? I just realized that every time I want to go to church, I have to find a church mass, communion and religious worship service for my "Demonination" my nationality. For what reason can't all churches welcome everyone regardless of your race, color or creed. The one place where one goes to find God and be free is not free, it's segregated by nationality and denominations. It's either all Christian, all Protestant, all Jewish, all Episcopalian, all Catholic, all Muslim, all Buddhist or all something else. This Tower of Babel confusion of the languages, cultures and nations thing has got me confused. And what if I want to go to church with someone who is not my nationality? We'd have to look around really hard to find a church that would accept both of our nationalities. I do believe there are some free, liberal, multicultural and diverse churches who welcome everyone such as Interfaith, Unitarian and Universalist churches who approach faith, religion and spirituality in a non traditional, creedless and non dogmatic way and have no creedal requirements imposed on their members. Times Square Church in Manhattan is an example of this. But for the most part, churches have always remained segregated. I am losing faith in the churches for this reason, they seem Saint Hypocritical and Saint Elitist in their God loves you for who you are speeches. Where can I go to find God and not be judged by the color of my skin? Should I just become an Atheist? Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind. Happy Easter.