This might ought to become a series on this blog.
I think that there are many, many people in the world full of faith who would not self-describe as people of faith. There are people who pray with great feeling but without thinking of what they're saying or feeling as prayers. There are atheists who fulfill the two great commandments given by Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40 as well as, or better than, most Christians. There is an ancient story of a monk who caroused and continually broke all of his vows and was admitted to heaven because he also continually forgave others and prayed for his enemies. The idea that God is too big and too magnificent to be contained or explained by one religion has meaning here: a faith trying to become perfect might be found anywhere, and is often in motion without ritual or self-knowledge or self-realization.
We have to listen carefully and dig a little to find such expressions of faith and then respect them when we do find them, honor their integrity and depth.
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