Slade A.

Sifuentes

I believe that in the book Radical Reinvention written by Kaya Oakes shows a lot of

communion, sacramentality, and mediation. I see more of the mediation side from Oakes by

some of the encounters that she has that reflects on maybe how she believes. The roller coaster

ride that Oakes encounters with her faith throughout her lifetime is remarkable and how open she

is in the process of finding herself along the way. . I believe mediation is someone in the middle

of a relationship or someone who has guided through something new.

I believe a mediator someone who helps guide your relationship with God and helps you

along the way figuring out all the microscopic details revolving around religion. These people

help offer their guidance ‘in organizing one’s life within a context larger than the everyday.’

Mediation is different in any religion or anyone religion. Catholics talk to their priest more often,

than other religions or vice versa. Everyone has their own mediation and it all depends on what

helps them continue to grow and organize their life.

With Oakes there was a time that she couldn’t find herself and so she found herself

starting to volunteer and working in homeless shelters and organizations. Her church hosted a

monthly dinner for the homeless that really had her thinking about someone besides herself. As

the homeless people came through they would thank her and Oakes would reply with “I didn’t do

anything.” Later on when she was done serving she then thought that she should thank them for

helping her truly find herself because it was a struggle with her faith.

To add to this the next time she went she brought her good friend Sage and he didn’t

believe in god and it was something that at first she believed wasn’t going to be an issue but as

time went on and she was finding her faith through the church she started to question it. This is
where she believed everyone had their own mediation like I mentioned earlier and Sage made

some connections at the supper and began to ask questions and wanted to go back. Oakes was so

surprised because he finally brought the touchy topic up on God, he would later say how he

believed that “God is really working in your life.” Oakes believed that the change of religion was

causing Sage to maybe want the same in his life which was starting to become important to her.

Throughout Oakes she sees mediation and the types of guidance she was searching for as

well as seeing what she has always disliked that’s made her resist God. I believe that everyone

has the kind of crisis or struggle with their faith but maybe not to the extreme that she does.

Mediation is in all religions and it can be a challenge to truly find your inner self.