A Christian friend once invited me to a church service.

It is vastly different from

the Catholic mass I was raised and accustomed to. When I walked into the church, I
observed all members of the congregation exchanged greetings in a polite manner.
Women and men shook hands. They also did the Filipino honoring gesture called
"pagmamano" among the elderly in the group. And, because it was my first time
attending the service, every woman came to me and shook my hand. That wasn't until
later that I realized it was their way of welcoming first-timers like me. Following that,
they talked about events from the previous week in their life and the church service
began. I closely listen to a pastor's sermon, mixed emotions and thoughts came to me.
There were various teachings delivered, such as God's commandments and how God
may improve one's life, but the testimony of God's love and mercy were the most
impactful for me. It was incredibly heart-warming and enlightening. It changed my
perspective on things and inspired me to be more compassionate and forgiving. Also,
they don't just merely sing particular songs; they close their eyes and place their
hands in their hearts like they are speaking and emptying their feeling through it
and like it symbolize the contents of their hearts and souls. From my inter-culture
experience, I realized it was more than a religion or weekly practice to which
members conformed and followed. It's a celebration of life. Giving thanks for all
that has been done and for all that is still to come.