The universe has no edge and no center. Stop, think, and try to wrap your brain around that one. It's difficult. In a world filled with speculation and debate as to the center of the universe, the consistency of the universe, where it began, where it ends, when it was created and how it was created, it's difficult to imagine order in a disordered world. However, despite such daunting opposition, I have found order in the universe. I'm no Einstein, and no brilliant astrophysicist: I'm just an ordinary guy who had a drive, a thirst, a desire to find order in his own universe.
The Easter holiday does not seem to be the start of the universe, or the end, but for me Holy Saturday will be a supernova experience. Unlike many Christians in the world, I will be able to remember my baptism. After searching for some semblance of order in my life, I found the missing link-or rather, the link found me. My girlfriend offered balance to my life, but God offered me order.
Perhaps it is difficult to imagine the changing experience that this process has had for me, so I'll try to share the path to order. Imagine your life, just as it is, but with one alteration: You have no religion. That is not to say that you do not have faith. Faith could be any belief in a supreme being, or in fact the belief in nothing at all, but faith is not religion.
How does not having religion change your life? Would you be attending Saint Louis University? Would you ever attend church? Would you shy away from religious discussions because you don't know enough about the subject? Perhaps. A life without religion for this writer meant a life filled with questions and obscurities. What was it that everyone else had that I didn't? Security.
Security can play a big role in religion. Whatever your religion, you should ask if it makes you feel safe. If it doesn't, or if it has lost that ability, you may want to consider your views. Though I am not yet considered Christian, I can feel more secure in my life, beliefs and self because of my approaching baptism.
It is as though a boulder, the boulder of insecurity has been lifted from my back. My faith, which had long been a wandering star against a dark sky, found safe haven and fellowship in the Church.
I had never been in a situation where I could discuss my faith and religious beliefs so freely and without reproach. Through the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults program, I discovered that I was not alone in my quest for solid ground in religion. In fact, my problem was quite common. People from all sorts of different backgrounds saw that there was something missing in their lives, some sense of order lacking, and they were drawn to the Church.
On Holy Saturday I will be baptized, have my first communion and be confirmed, all in a single ceremony. The anticipation is incredible, for I cannot wait to be welcomed with open arms into the Christian community. My friends and family stand behind me and support me but all knew that the journey was ultimately one I had to make on my own.
This journey was between God and me. And in my times of doubt, during periods of struggle, when I had questions, and no answers coming, I knew that He walked beside me, saying that this is the right path, and that the holy water of baptism will be the water of order and meaning for my life.
While the journey has been long, the benefits are never ending-literally. For those who have wavered, or are considering programs such as RCIA, don't delay. Even if you do not follow through with the program, you will at least discover what you are missing in your life.
And, perhaps, you too will discover that the universe does indeed have a center, but finding it is entirely up to you.
Andrew Emmerich is a sophomore studying English and secondary education.
