Christ's Real Lesson

I recently recieved a letter from a man named Dan about an article I wrote some time ago that dealt with the concept of salvation. Here is what he had to say:

"This is in regards to your article on: Christian's understanding of salvation
Enjoyed your article very much. You make a very compelling case- against the
Calvinist mindset, and for a loving God who values a life lived in devotion and
obedience to Him.

You did an excellent job of side-stepping the faith vs. works polemic free-for-all,
instead stating: "Jesus shows us that our acts, not the names we praise, are what
matter most in the eyes of God."

My only quibble, and it is probably a small one, is with the phrase "But there is a
deeper flaw in Christianity that needs addressing here."
The sentence seems to be aiming a rebuke at Christianity itself, when you already
have the enemy in your sights.
Like I said, it is a small thing, but it sent me down the wrong mental path, though
only temporarily.

Again, I applaud your powerful reasoning and the passion you brought to this piece.
Keep up the good work!"

I felt compelled to reply to Dan and elaborate on the points he'd touched on, and to clarify my own thoughts. Once I was finished, I thought I'd share those thoughts with you:

Dear Dan,

Thanks for writing. I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed the article. Clearly, you understood where I was going. You'd be surprised how many letters I get from people who didn't.

In any case, looking back, I see what you mean about that sentence. As you know, it isn't always evident to a writer that the reader will grasp what's being said; the thoughts behind the words aren't always expressed.

What I was thinking at the time was, as is often the case when I write about religion, that many of the conflicts we see within the faith and between Christianity and other ideologies have less to do with the central tennets of faith and are mostly due to the dogma that has largely taken the place of the gospel in the hearts of many of the faithful. In other words, the ideals of Christianity itself are fine, but some of the junk that has been tacked on over the past couple of thousand years has created serious flaws in the practice of the faith today.

For example, there are several places in the Bible where Jesus makes it very clear that when He says 'follow me' he doesn't mean 'worship me' (today, often taken as 'pay me lip service and wait for me to save you for no reason but having stroked my ego'), but, instead, intended it literally, as in 'walk along beside me, follow the path through life that I tread and do as I have done.' Perhaps the best example, one that shows that the names we praise are less important than what we *do* in God's name, is the parable of the Good Samaritan, which I'm sure you're familiar with. Today, however, there are precious few who ever manage to get up off their knees to do as their savior has asked.

It boggles me that so few are able to see the path laid plain before them. How many of us would see a relationship between two people, where both avow their undying love and devotion to the other's happiness, but only one acts on it, and call it a good thing? If one spouse is obsessed only with him or her self and what he or she is getting out of the other, never *doing* something out of love, if only just to see the other smile, then there is hardly any real devotion.

In reality, we can always tell where there is true love. Those of us who understand what love really is, whether we be Christian, Muslim, Wiccan, or even atheist, try to behave in a way that would make those we love and care for proud of us. But more importantly, we do things out of love that we may not ordinarily do. We give of ourselves, be it our time, effort, or resources, for no other purpose than to see that special someone pleased. Our greatest joy is to bring joy to those we care for.

That's what made Christianity so revolutionary in the days after Jesus departed this world: for the first time in the history of mankind, there was a faith that did not center on God's commands, but on the concept of sharing love with God, and through that love, caring for all that God holds dear - not just our own souls, but all of God's children, and all of His creation.

I believe that is why we still call the books about Christ's life "gospell"; while "Holy Bible" means 'sacred book', "gospell" litterally translates as "The Way". Jesus showed us the way; our true charge in the Christian faith is to walk that path through life. Our true task is to find our love of God, and act on it.

In a way, Christianity is really all about finding our love for life. Not merely giving thanks to God for giving us this life, nor praising Jesus for pointing us in the right direction. Really, though it verges on disrespect to say so, Jesus is 'just' a fellow traveler, a guide who walks beside us.

It is said that life is about the journey, not just getting to the "destination" at the end. In the same way, the Christian concept of becoming one with God isn't about finishing up this life to go be with God afterward, but about embracing God's love now, and loving the things that God loves - all the things that God loves - out of our love of God.

Reaching God isn't an ultimate goal to be merely accomplished, but a waypoint, a threshold that must be crossed for life to really begin. That's where that most controversial of phrases, the one used so often to try to convert the "heathens", comes from: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

It is almost as if we have been given a treasure map, but instead of following the dotted line to where wonders untold might be found, the vast majority of us do nothing but sing the praises of Rand McNally for sending us this amazing thing. Few ever take a single step in the right direction.

God is not an overlord, He is a teacher. And all He wants is to show us how wonderful life can be, if we but forgive ourselves our sins (He already has) and embrace joy. He wants us to be happy, and the greatest happiness to be found comes from bring joy to others, and in showing them how to experience the same rapture in bringing joy to others still. That is love - caring so deeply that another's joy *is* your joy. And love only works when it is shared.

A minute few of us, in all of human history, have managed to figure that out without God's guidance, and well done to them for that. Jesus was sent to show the rest of us.

But that's just my thoughts.

All the best,
~Bryan Belrad