Book 2, Post 1; Holy Envy

For Book 2, I would like to read Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others. At this point in my life, I have myself questioning what the next steps into my religious journey look like, and this book stood out to me. While looking at the list, I actually had a challenging time deciding what I wanted to read as everything from the self guidance books to ancient wisdom seemed fascinating and could apply to what I am looking to learn more about myself. Holy Envy stood out as I feel like Spiritual guidance is something I am missing in my life, and this book covers the experience of undoing what we already knew and learning what “God” means to us. 

I grew up Roman Catholic, was baptized in a Polish church, and raised under the Polish Religion for a large portion of my life. I didn’t understand it much, nor align with it. Eventually going into middle and high school, I joined my childhood best friends christian youth group, continuing my religious experience through there. The youth group was in fact very christian, and very white; I left once the 2020 BLM movement struck as I became the token speaker and educator and couldn’t understand what I was doing in the space anymore. Since then I have been left to my own religious practices at home, moving away from the colonized and systematic structure of religion we know today. I have a strong curiosity for spirituality, and have been feeling a sense of FOMO from seeing the community of other religions such as muslims and African spiritual christians. My own religious curiosity and envy is drawing me towards this book, so I am excited to learn and hear about this feeling through another author.