In this introductory episode of Faithfully Explore, Laura welcomes listeners to embark on a journey of exploring the world’s diverse belief systems. She explains what a belief is and discusses the importance of understanding different beliefs to build strong, respectful relationships. Through various engaging stories and thought exercises, Laura highlights how beliefs shape our lives and how we can learn from each other’s traditions and wisdom. She introduces the concept of the ‘Belief Backpack’ and the ‘Friendship Bridge,’ encouraging listeners to earn their first ‘Bridge Builder’ badge by respectfully learning about someone else’s beliefs. The episode ends with a story from indigenous American tribes, teaching the value of cooperation and bravery.

Did you know There are over 4,000 belief systems practicing in the world today? Each one holds mysteries, traditions and wisdom waiting for us to explore. Hi, I'm Laura and this is Faithfully Explore.

Where we don't just listen, we explore. You're about to start an adventure where each episode, your family steps into the shoes of another and along the way discovers what makes humans so.

So beautifully diverse. I'm thrilled to begin that incredible journey with you today.

Hey there, friends. Let's take a ride on a journey far and wide. We don't just listen, we explore. Open our hearts to so much more. Faithfully Explore is the name.

Learning together is our aim. Beliefs around the globe will track filling up our belief backpack.

Welcome, Welcome. I am so grateful you have joined me today. Have you ever wondered why someone wears something on their head like a hijab or turban?

Maybe you've wanted to know more about Diwali, Hanukkah or Good Friday. Possibly you have a friend, classmate or neighbor who is of a different religion and you've thought about what that would be like.

On the other hand, you may have questioned if you believe in aliens, ghosts, or even unicorns. I've always been fascinated with questions like this and learning what others believe.

I've spent a lot of time in conversations at museums and reading books trying to find these kinds of answers. Why? Oh, there are so many reasons. The main two are, first, so I can understand and better relate to the people that I meet around me.

And the second reason is because I believe I can become a better person by learning things from other cultures, religions and belief systems. I might never fully adopt the belief I am learning about, but it may teach me a lesson I can use to make my life better.

And I am hoping I can share some of these lessons that I have learned with you. If we're going to learn more about what others believe, we must first learn what a belief is.

Just like how every person has their own favorite color or food, people around the world have different beliefs that are important to them. These beliefs are like beautiful stories that help guide them through life.

I'd like to take you on a trip in our mind to help you understand what that word belief means. Are you ready to become a belief explorer with me? For our first imaginary journey, we're going on a camping trip. Picture yourself in a forest.

Imagine there's a tent with your sleeping bag inside. Behind us, we're sitting around a campfire. Can you picture it? Look up. Can you see the stars?

I can't wait to share with you some of the amazing stories people of the world have about the stars. We can learn so much from them in future episodes. Now look in front of you again. Can you see that fire we saw before?

Can you feel the heat coming off of the fire? Now put your hand in the fire. How many of you said no? Or what you may have even thought? Is there something wrong with this woman?

I'm sure very few of you imagined yourself actually putting your hand in the fire. But why? Why would you not stick your hand into the fire? You have a belief that you would get burned.

You may have learned this belief from your parents telling you no hot or don't touch that when you went to touch the stove. Growing up, you may have a personal experience of burning yourself on a curling iron or other object.

However you came about it, you have a belief that if you put your hand in fire, you will get burned. So what is a belief? A belief is simply something you know to be true.

When you wake up in the morning and see the sun rising, you believe it will set in the evening. When you plant a seed, you believe it will grow into a beautiful flower. These are beliefs based on what we've learned and experienced.

Some people believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Others believe it's better to wait until later to eat. Both of these are beliefs that come from different ideas about health and wellness.

Think about when you lose a tooth. In some places, children believe a tooth fairy comes to collect it. Did you know that in other places, children believe in a tooth mouse?

Isn't it fascinating how beliefs can be so different yet equally special to the people who hold them? Sometimes beliefs are like invisible treasures we carry in our hearts.

They can be about big things, like what happens when we dream, or small things, like believing your lucky socks help you do better in sports. Each belief is like a unique fingerprint. No two are exactly the same. When someone crosses their fingers for good luck, that's a belief.

When someone avoids walking under ladders, that's a belief too. Even thinking that pizza tastes better than Brussels sprouts is a kind of belief. Remember, explorers, beliefs aren't about being right or wrong.

They're like different glasses that help each person see and understand the world in their own special way. Some beliefs come from our families, some from our communities, and some we discover all on our own through our own experiences.

So, my fellow belief explorers, I ask again, what is a belief? Maybe now you remember it's an idea you think is true.

And we all have beliefs as we Learn more about Beliefs each one helps us understand a little bit more about how other people see the world, and that's what makes being a belief explorer so exciting. There is always something new to discover about beliefs. One of the reasons I enjoy learning about beliefs is I love to travel.

When I go somewhere, I like to learn the beliefs of the people in the area I am visiting. As you listen to this podcast, you will hear about some of my vacations and the valuable lessons I learned from people all over the globe.

When I'm packing for these trips, I carefully choose what I'm going to bring. When I leave a trip, I usually pack a souvenir or two to take home.

While we do the same thing with our beliefs throughout our lives, collect them like treasures that we carry with us everywhere we go. I like to think of this like a backpack. I call it my belief Backpack. Think about opening your belief backpack right now. What would you find inside?

Maybe there are special celebrations your family has taught you, like lighting candles during holidays or saying specific words before meals. These are beliefs that your family carefully packed for you.

These might be like your grandmother's special recipes that she believes bring good luck or stories your parents told you about right and wrong. Can you feel how these beliefs make your backpack cozy and familiar? Next, inside your backpack you might find beliefs from your community.

These are like the special things you learn at school, in your neighborhood, from your friends, or maybe even at a church. Maybe your community believes in helping others, celebrating certain holidays or cheering for a particular sports team.

These beliefs often hold up other beliefs in our backpacks. If I believe in Christmas, then that might support my belief in Santa Claus.

If I believe my team is the best, then I might also believe I need to watch the game for them to win. Here's something magical about our belief backpacks. They grow with us.

Every time you have a new experience, it's like adding another item to your pack. Remember that time you made a new friend who showed you a different way of doing things? That's a new belief you collected.

Each time you add a new belief to your backpack, you are making it more unique to you. That's the most wonderful thing about our belief backpacks. They're all different.

Your friend's backpack might be packed with beliefs about eating certain foods on special days, while yours might have beliefs about saying specific prayers before bedtime. Some backpacks might be filled with beliefs about nature being sacred, while others might carry beliefs about scientific explanations for everything.

Remember, our belief backpacks are always open for new additions. Every person we meet every place we visit and every experience we have might give us something new to add.

That's what makes our journey of understanding beliefs so exciting. Our backpacks never get too full for more. Now that we've packed our belief backpacks, let's go on a quick journey around the world.

We're going on a global Belief Hunt. I'll share some interesting beliefs from different places and you can try to guess where in the world they might come from.

Are you ready to play global Belief Hunt? Here's our first stop. In this place, people believe that before entering their homes or sacred spaces, they they should remove their shoes.

They believe this shows respect and helps keep the space pure and clean. Can you guess where this might be common? If you guessed Japan or India, you're right, but your sibling might be too.

This belief is shared across many Asian countries, a few in Europe, and even other places in the world like Hawaii. For this reason, it is a good idea to ask someone if you should remove your shoes before entering their home.

Now let's travel to another fascinating place where people believe that telling stories about their ancestors keeps their history alive. They don't write these stories in books. Instead, they pass them down through beautiful songs and dances. Any ideas where that might be?

This is common in many Aboriginal communities in Australia, where they call these stories the dreaming. If this sounds interesting to you, make sure you listen in to episode number two.

We'll be learning more about dreaming and other lessons we can learn from the Aborigines of Australia. In another part of our world, many communities believe that trees can be sacred and that they hold special wisdom.

Can you guess what continent this might be common on? If you guessed this took place in Africa, you were correct.

There they gather under these trees called baobab trees, for important meetings and ceremonies. Isn't it amazing how different people express their beliefs?

Let's zoom across to another area where some communities believe that Mother Earth, or Pachamama as they call her, is alive and deserves respect and offerings. They believe everything in nature is connected, like we're all connected in one big family. The name Pachamama might help.

Does that remind you of a language or make you think of a specific place? The belief in Pachamama is common in many parts of South America. So if you guessed Argentina, Chile or Peru, you're right.

They even have a special ceremony during August to thank Pachamama or Mother Earth for their harvests. Here's another interesting one. In some places, people believe that saying bless you after someone sneezes helps protect Them from evil spirits.

Can you guess where this idea came from? This was started in Europe, but has spread around the world. I bet some of you do this too.

It's amazing how some beliefs can travel and become part of many different cultures. Next time you say bless you after someone sneezes, remember that tradition came from Europe. Here's another fascinating one.

Some people create beautiful sand art called mandalas, believing that the very act of making and then sweeping away these intricate sand designs teaches us that nothing lasts forever. And that's okay. Where do you think they might make these mandalas? This idea came from countries in Asia like Tibet and India.

They even sometimes have ceremonies for people to view when they take apart their mandalas. I'd sure love to see that one. Last one. Some people believe that seeing a rainbow is a bridge between heaven and earth.

Where do you think this belief originates from? This beautiful belief comes from Norse mythology from the countries we now know as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The next time I see a rainbow, I'll be thinking of this Norse belief that it might be connecting us with heaven. If you enjoyed our global belief hunt, go to FaithfullyExplore.com to download a printable version of the game.

In this board game version, you'll be able to quiz your family about beliefs and where they come from in the world. Again, to download that version, you'll go to faithfullyexplore.com so how did you do in our global belief hunt?

Did you know or were you able to guess where some of these beliefs were from? If not, that's why you're listening and exploring with me. Each week, we will learn more about beliefs from all over our planet.

Here's what's really special about all these beliefs. They help people make sense of the world in their own unique ways.

Just like we all have different favorite foods or games, people around the world have different beliefs that are special to them.

Each of these beliefs we've explored is like a colorful thread in a giant blanket, weaving together to create the beautiful story of human beliefs around the world. Some beliefs might seem very different from what's in your backpack. And that's what makes our world so wonderfully diverse.

Isn't it exciting to think about how many more amazing beliefs there are to discover? Every time we learn about a new belief, it's like adding another color to our understanding of the world.

And the more colors we have, the more beautiful our picture becomes. So how do we become friends with someone whose beliefs are not in our backpack? Have you ever tried to build a Bridge with Blocks.

I watched my nephew do this recently. He built it over and over again the same way. He became really frustrated that it kept collapsing before he could ever finish it.

I showed him that he needed to have strong foundations on both sides so that it could stay connected in the middle. After we tried that strategy, he was able to build his bridge so that it stayed together just like that bridge.

Building friendships with people whose beliefs are different than ours needs to have strong foundations, too. And the foundations in this case are understanding and respect. We need to build those things before we can build our connection.

Think about your favorite book or movie. You probably love to talk about it with friends who also enjoy it.

That's because sharing something we care about with others who understand makes us feel good. It's the same with our beliefs. When someone takes the time to understand what's important to us, it makes us feel valued and respected.

I call this whole idea the friendship bridge. Imagine you're building a bridge between yourself and a new friend. On one side are your beliefs. On the other side are theirs.

Every time you learn something new about each other's beliefs, you're adding another piece to your bridge. The stronger your bridge becomes, the stronger your friendship grows.

But remember, at the base of your friendship bridge is always that foundation of understanding and respect.

For example, if your friend doesn't eat certain foods because of their beliefs, understanding why those foods are special to them helps build your bridge. Instead of thinking that's strange, you might think that's interesting. And just like that, you've added another piece to your friendship bridge.

Understanding different beliefs doesn't mean we have to change what we believe. It's like learning a new language. You can speak English and learn Spanish without forgetting English.

Similarly, you can understand someone else's beliefs and still keep your own. Sometimes we might hear something about another person's beliefs that seems very different from what we know.

That's when we need to add extra strong pieces to our friendship bridge. We can ask respectful questions.

Listen carefully, and remember that what sometimes seems unusual to us might be very normal and special to someone else. Next time you meet someone with different beliefs, try to find things you have in common.

Maybe you both love playing soccer, or you both enjoy helping others, or you both have a favorite holiday you celebrate with your families. These similarities are like golden pieces that make your friendship bridge shine even brighter.

Remember, every time we take a moment to understand someone else's beliefs, we're not just building one bridge. We're helping to create a whole network of bridges connecting people all over the world.

And in this big, wonderful world of ours, having lots of strong bridges makes everything better for everyone. Think about how amazing it would be if everyone took the time to build friendship bridges.

Our schools, neighborhoods and communities would be filled with understanding, respect, and friendship. That's the kind of world I want to live in. Don't you?

Now that we've learned so much about beliefs and building bridges of friendship, I have an exciting challenge for all my fellow Belief Explorers out there. It's time to earn your very first Belief Explorer Badge. Each episode, I will give you something to try that week.

If you try it out, you've earned the badge. You may choose to print off a badge, or you may be fine with the accomplishment alone. This week's badge is the Bridge Builder. Are you ready?

Here's what you need to get your Bridge Builder Badge to earn your Bridge Builder Badge, find someone in your life. It could be a classmate, a neighbor, or even a family friend. You're looking for someone who has beliefs that are different from yours.

You're gonna ask them some questions. When we ask questions, we want to make sure they feel comfortable and respected.

Start by letting your friend know that you're interested in learning more about their beliefs. You could say something like, I'd really like to know more about what you believe. Would you be willing to talk to me about that?

Remember, some people might not want to share about their belief, and that's okay too. If they say they'd rather not talk about something, simply thank them for anything they already did tell you.

Now let's think of some questions you could ask. I have a few ideas for you. You might ask your friend what's the most important thing you believe in?

After that, you may ask what special celebrations or traditions they have. You could also ask, is there important music, food, or clothing that goes along with your beliefs?

You might even ask them if there are any stories that explain one of their beliefs to you. You don't have to use any of these specific questions. Remember, the goal is to learn more about the beliefs of the friend that you are talking to.

When you're asking your questions, remember to be a good listener. I know it can be hard, but listening means not interrupting and giving the person time to share their thoughts fully.

You also might want to ask follow up questions like that's really interesting. Could you tell me more about that?

These kinds of questions show your friend that you're listening to what they're saying and that you want to understand them better. You also might want to show them you're paying attention by nodding and making eye contact.

If something isn't clear, it's okay to ask them to explain it again. If they use words you don't know, it's perfectly fine to ask what they mean. Sometimes people use special words when talking about their beliefs.

Remember, the goal isn't to argue or tell them they're wrong. We're trying to learn and understand. If you disagree with something, keep listening respectfully.

You may be able to share your own beliefs too, but remember not to say that your beliefs are better than theirs.

Instead, try to use phrases like in my family, we believe or what I've learned about blank is this shows that you respect both your own beliefs and theirs. While you're listening to your friend explain their beliefs, try to notice three new things you didn't know before.

Maybe you'll learn about a special celebration they have or a tradition that's important to their family. Always remember to say thank you after someone shares their beliefs with you.

We want to show appreciation when others take the time to teach us what is in their belief. Backpacks it takes courage to talk about something so personal, and showing gratitude helps build friendship and understanding.

Remember, those are the bases of our friendship bridge. If we can build those, then our friendship bridge continues to grow stronger.

The most important part of earning your Bridge Builder Badge is what you do with what you've learned. Share your discoveries with someone else in your life. This will spread understanding like ripples in a pond.

When you've shared what you've learned, you've officially earned your Bridge Builder badge. Go to Faithfully Explore.com to print it out and color it. Every episode of Faithfully Explore will end with a story this week.

Our story was inspired by the campfire that helped us understand what a belief was. Remember when we were picturing that fire in our brain?

Well, this story comes from Indigenous American tribes about how coyotes stole fire to bring it to humans. Originally in a village far away, the people lived happily during the summer when the sun warmed their homes.

But when winter came, the cold was unbearable. The river turned to ice and snow covered everything. The elderly and little children suffered the most, shivering day and night.

One day, Coyote passed by the village and heard the people crying. His heart filled with sadness when he learned about their struggles.

He remembered the Fire Beings who lived high up in the mountains, keeping a magical fire all to themselves. Clever Coyote watched the Fire Beings for many nights, noticing how they took turns guarding their precious fire.

Early one morning, when the guards were switching places, Coyote saw his chance quick as lightning, he grabbed a burning branch in his mouth and ran down the mountain. The angry fire beings chased him, getting closer and closer.

Just as they were about to catch him, Coyote passed the fire to Squirrel, who was waiting in a tree. The fire being touched Coyote's tail, turning its tip white forever. Brave Squirrel carried the fire on her back.

But soon the fire beings were catching up to her too. She passed the fire to Chipmunk, but the heat made Squirrel's tail curl up and it stayed that way ever since.

Chipmunk ran as fast as she could, but the fire being scratched her back, leaving three white stripes that we can still see today. She managed to pass the fire to Frog just in time.

Hoar Frog lost his tail while escaping the fire beings, which is why frogs don't have tails anymore. But he did something very clever. He threw the fire to Wood. Wood kept the fire safe no matter how much the fire beings tried to demand it back.

Finally, kind coyotes showed the people how to make fire by rubbing sticks together. From that day on, the village stayed warm all winter long.

This wonderful story teaches us about the power of working together and helping others in need. It shows us how even the smallest creatures can make a big difference when they're brave and caring.

Just like the animals in our story, we too can help others and make all our world a better place. Throughout our journey today, we've discovered that beliefs are like colorful threads in the big blanket of our world.

Each belief adds a new color, making our world even more beautiful. We each also carry our own belief backpack that we build by learning from our family, communities and personal experiences.

We also learned that understanding different beliefs helps us make friendship bridges. We which help make new friends and create stronger friendships with those we already have.

Most importantly, we found out that being curious about others beliefs doesn't mean giving up on our own. It just means our hearts and minds grow bigger.

As you continue listening to episodes of Faithfully Explore, we'll be diving into fascinating traditions from around the world. We'll discover why some people celebrate with lights, others with special foods, and some with amazing music and dance.

On our next episode, we'll be adding to our belief backpacks lessons from the Aborigines of Australia. Plus, I'll have another exciting challenge for all my fellow belief explorers out there.

Until then, keep exploring, keep asking questions and keep building those friendship bridges. Remember, every person you meet has something wonderful to teach you about their beliefs and traditions.

This is Laura, your fellow belief explorer from Faithfully Explore. Thank you for not just listening, but exploring with me faithfully explores about you.

Let'S grow kinder together, it's true.