"Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. What would you think of me doing a project on religion? You wouldn't mind, would you God? I'd tell you all about it. And I won't make any decisions without asking you first. I think it's time for me to decide what to be. I can't go on being nothing forever, can I?"
― "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret"
In Judy Blume's very popular bildungsroman, a type of literary genre that explores coming of age, "Are You There God, It's me Margaret," she explores the main protagonist, Margaret, growing up in an interfaith household (Christian and Jewish). Margaret struggles to find her voice and place in the world but learns that maybe, she doesn't have to choose.
Likewise, in my memoir Trauterose: Growing Up In Postwar Munich, I share my journey growing up in both Catholic and Protestant environments. Specifically, I share my spiritual journey and lessons I learn along the way. In this article, I share 2 lessons I learned growing up in an intrafaith household.
Lesson #1: You Can Learn From Different Spiritual Traditions By Studying The History
Although I was baptized as a Catholic, the foster parents that I grew up with in Munich were non-practicing Protestants who disliked Catholicism. In fact, Vati, my foster father, referred to Catholics as those "damned Catholics" and as "charlatans" (97). This negative view of different spiritual traditions and especially, the Protestant and Catholic divide was not only a post World War II issue; it was a divide that had lingered for hundreds of years.
To give you a little history of the Protestant and Catholic divide in Europe, the Protestant spiritual tradition broke off from the Catholic tradition in the year 1517. During that year, Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation and suggested that Protestantism would differ from Catholicism by not requiring a Pope or a spiritual leader to serve as an intermediary between the masses and God. Luther also suggested that the Bible be translated into mother tongues rather than just Latin or Greek. This led to vernacular and local-based spiritual traditions that no longer referred to the Catholic Church or the Pope for guidance.
As a young child in post World War II, this divide shaped my foster parents views of Catholicism, but it did not function as a divide in my life because I saw the value of both spiritual traditions. Through my experience with nuns and the sisters who helped me as a child and teen, I learned about the community services Catholics engaged in all over the world. Through my experiences with my foster parents, I learned that different spiritual traditions can coexist (afterall, I was a Catholic in a Protestant household!).
Lesson #2: You Will Find Yourself Through This Journey
The second lesson that I learned through my experiences growing up in an intrafaith environment was that you will find yourself through this journey. Despite my foster parents' negative attitudes towards Catholicism and despite some of the misconceptions some Catholics had towards Protestants, I learned to find who I was–that is, to find my voice through all the cacophony.
Like other children and young adults in the bildungsroman literary genre, my memoir explores my spiritual journey. I learned as a child and young adult to find meaning in places and experience that felt like they had no meaning. I learned that, like I mention in my book, every person that we meet leaves an imprint on us. For example, my foster parents taught me the value of family and not judging others based on their past, whereas the Catholic sisters taught me the value of serving others.
Learning To Coexist
In my memoir, I explore the ability for different peoples and ideologies to coexist. In fact, I believe that coexistence is not only possible, but necessary. My memoir explores what it means for a child and young adult to navigate these differences and to find your voice when it feels like it's drowning in a sea of other voices.
To learn more about my journey, read my book. You will not be disappointed by the lessons that I share!