So far, we’ve traveled from a bird’s eye view of the evolution of the Christian religion, through a summary examination of core beliefs and practices, including the ideas of salvation and whether we are in a period generally termed the End Times.

I know that many of you reading this will be familiar with most of these things while others perhaps less so. Regardless, I believe it’s worth thinking about them as we try to come to grips with understanding one another and how and why each of us believes the things we do.

* * * * *

I suspect many non-Christians and even a decent proportion of avowed Christians believe that the central motivation for being a Christian is the desire to go to heaven.

I spent some time two posts ago talking about the idea of salvation … of being “saved.” For the people I just described above, the main benefit of this is that they get to go to heaven. And, of course, heaven is supposed to be a really good place so it’s not a bad thought to want to spend eternity there.

However, I think this is at least somewhat misguided.

Before explaining such a statement, I’m certainly not saying that the desire to spend eternity in heaven (as promised and discussed previously) is not a strong motivator. Without a doubt, it is. Speaking bluntly, I’m looking forward to it!

But, I’ll argue that it shouldn’t be the central motivator and I believe the evidence will support me.

When you look at the life and message of Jesus and take in all that his great apostle Paul shares in his extensive teachings contained in the New Testament, one does not find the pursuit of heaven to be the key piece.

Instead, it is the transformation of the human mind and heart. I’ll say that again: It’s the transformation of the human mind and heart.

Everything about Jesus’ life and teaching and, also, that of Paul in the following decades, points in this direction.

Simply put, Jesus’ central message was that a thing he called “The Kingdom of God,” had broken through and was now fully present, here on earth. Jesus said that his arrival as the Son of God had changed everything. God was not somewhere “out or up there,” but right here. Right now.

Early on in these reflections, I mentioned how John the Baptist, Jesus’ first cousin and a member of a strict and monkish Jewish sect called the Essenes, most notably started his teachings with the admonishment to “Repent!” He was viewed as a prophet and had his own significant following after he descended from the stark mountainous wasteland above the Dead Sea. “Repent,” taken out of context to imply something like “I’m really sorry,” was not his point. Instead, the direct translation means to “re-think.” Recalibrate. Set an old way of thinking aside to view reality anew.

This is the basis of Jesus’ teaching and ministry.

Cutting to the chase, it was like saying, “You think the purpose of your life is this. No, it’s not that. It’s something else entirely. You’ve understood it all wrong … well, at least a lot of it. And, the parts you’ve misunderstood can make all of the difference.”

“You see,” Jesus would have said, “Your job is not really to ‘please’ God. It is to know him and to love him. And, you don’t know and love someone by merely following rules. Furthermore, “knowing” is not just a head thing, like learning a bunch of facts. It’s a “heart” thing. In fact, it’s more a heart thing than a head thing.”

Of course, this would have been incredibly confusing to his Jewish audience, with their long and often uneasy history, from the early days of Abraham through the famines and ultimate enslavement in Egypt, to the Exodus and Moses. Of course, Moses, they were told, was given laws (the most famous of which were the Ten Commandments but there were hundreds of others) in order to set them apart … to keep them on the path so that they would be God’s people from generation to generation. What’s this stuff that Jesus was now saying?

It’s that Jesus could show them an entirely new way of living … of thinking … of relating to one another. And this new way would be what this thing he called “The Kingdom of God,” was supposed to look like. This new way (they actually called themselves The Way soon after his crucifixion and resurrection) would transform them.

This transformation was not something they had to wait for until the next life. It was available right now and would change everything.

Now, his followers (despite listening to and following Jesus for upwards of three years, seeing his miracles and observing how he modeled a unique way of life) … being flawed like all of us … didn’t completely understand it all. They struggled and bickered with one another, trying to make sense of everything, too often misinterpreting the message Jesus was trying to impart.

Fortunately for them and for those who came after, Jesus promised to “send” a counselor of sorts. We know this person as the third member of the Trinitarian God … the Holy Spirit.

We can think about it this way: God the Father is the Creator God. God the Son is the Implementer and Mediator. God the Spirit is the Guide. (Ok. That’s being exceedingly simplistic but I’m trying to make a point, not produce perfect theology here. Of course, there is only one God. Sorry for any head-spinning. Welcome to the club.)

Anyway, to continue, the Holy Spirit’s job is to change us. Really, that’s about it. By following Jesus … not as a “kind of” but as an “all in,” we are invited to accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t mess around. I should know.

Yes, this can sound absurd to the modern sensibility. Loony Tunes. You mean?: We “follow” some religious guy who probably said some good stuff two thousand years ago, not unlike some other major religious figures in history and then this invisible Spirit (called the Holy Ghost, of all things, by some people) comes into us and we get changed. Full makeover? What then? We run off to be missionaries in Africa? Start speaking weird languages? Abandon our friends and families? Hey, look at what Jesus said early on, “Drop your nets and follow me.” (Translation: Give up your way of life and take on a new one.)

Or, as Jesus told the learned priest, “You must be born again.”

Well, as crazy as this sounds, it’s actually true. Not only have I experienced it in my own life (and I remain a highly rational person), but I have seen it happen countless times in others.

This process of transformation, through the work of God deeply imbedded into our being, has the theological name of Sanctification. It’s a concept that runs alongside that of Justification (making right with God) mentioned earlier. But, it’s often overlooked.

For obvious reasons.

Many people don’t want to be transformed.

If the concept of Justification is a one-off, Sanctification is a long process. It means to be made whole. To become the person God wants us to be. Not a rule-follower but a lover. A person “saved by grace” and “saved for grace.” A person who understands their true purpose in life and who learns how to live into that purpose. A person who knows he or she belongs fully to God and, through God, is able to bless others and partner with God for the good of the world.

So, what is this actually supposed to look like? Well, some will say the objective is to grow to become more “Christ-like.” While I agree with this, it’s enormously easy to misconstrue what this actually means. And, the proof of that can be found in how professing Christians have chosen to interpret it. It certainly does not mean to become “more religious.” It does not mean to become more “moral” or to learn how to follow prescribed rules more rigidly. (In fact, these are some of the things Jesus most objected to.)

Instead, I believe the “sanctifying” or transformative process leads to a more developed sense of what living in truth and love really looks like. For, if God is anything, he is the God of both Truth and Love.

I know a man who says he cannot change. Pity. A hardened heart … a heart and mind leaning towards judgmentalism and self-righteousness is not the heart and mind of God.

There are actually two main “rules.” Love God and love others with everything you have. The rest only has meaning in light of this simple directive. Of course, we rebel against this, don’t understand it, and fail at it.

Sanctification means taking baby steps (sometimes two steps forward and one step backwards) along a continuum. It is the Pilgrim’s Progress. The Grand Journey. Thankfully, God is patient and forgiving.

This is available to all.

Easy to say. Tougher to actually do. But the rewards are incredible and available here and now.

As I conclude this piece, I feel we’re left with one more thing to consider and that is: How do we know what to do?

Next: Revelation

We’re all going to die. No getting around it.

Maybe emerging technologies will make it possible to live much longer and, perhaps, even more healthily. Maybe we’ll become part flesh-and-blood, part machine. Maybe scientists will create human beings in the laboratory, replete with specially-designed characteristics. Maybe computer or artificial “intelligence” will come closer and closer to mimicking the human brain and a hard line between man and machine will disappear altogether.

But, we’re all going to die. Whether it’s today, tomorrow or years down the road. Or, let’s broaden our perspective much further and extend that timeline. The human species is doomed, not just each one of us.

Think about it.

Even if we humans (or whatever we are called in the far future if we survive that long) make it for billions of years but don’t escape our planet Earth, this world will fry when the sun dies in a burst of massive energy. Or, if our species has left this planet long before and migrated elsewhere, in some form and by some means, the universe as we know it is also going to die. Physicists are now pretty convinced, given expansion rates and all sorts of other forces, that eventually the universe will plain “peter out.” It will run out of juice, sort of like those dimmable light bulbs as you turn them down until the light fully disappears. All life in this universe will cease to exist.

We’re all going to die.

And with the end of the universe as we know it, time will end, too. You may recall that time is relative, as Einstein so famously proved (a proof that has held up to the tightest scrutiny). It has to do with time’s interdependency with light and gravity, the latter two of which are part of the known universe.

Now, in keeping with this current theme of “Who is a Christian?”, we come to another fascinating set of beliefs, having to do with what lies ahead.

I’m going to briefly attempt to summarize these core beliefs, while also touching on some variations.

But, first, just like in my last post where I cited an image of a kind of clownish character demanding attention at sporting events in order to share a truth he firmly believed in, my mind here goes to another character, cartoonish if you will.

You’ve all seen it. The semi-crazed fellow, dressed usually in some sort of robe, standing on an urban street corner with the sign that says something like: Repent! The End is Near!

(Christians might recognize the loose connection with the famous prophet and cousin to Jesus we know as John the Baptist, who was similarly dressed in coarse clothing, possibly a little wild-eyed and unkempt … after all he ate locusts, we are told! … loudly preaching, “Repent!”)

Now, this cartoon fellow is echoing what some pretty serious people have been saying off and on for thousands of years. He’s saying that life as we know it is about to come to a quick conclusion. Humanity is going to soon awaken to an entirely new reality and it may not be pretty for many. Hence, “Get a grip! Change Your Behavior! Get Prepared!”

There are many, many reasons to be very skeptical about all of this. It’s incredibly easy to recall all of the predictions and prophesies of the end of the world … that have proven to be complete duds. Having said that, even non-Christians get on board and predict the end of humanity because of environmental or climate predictions, war, population explosions and food and resource implosion.

Predicting the end of all things has been a growth industry for millennia.

Which brings us back to Christians and what the mainstream believes. Are we in the End Times as no small number of churches profess and Christians believe? (For those who care, this is a branch of Theology called Eschatology… deep focus on the implication of being in the last days before God decides to pull the plug.)

To be extremely simplistic, there are two main sources of information, both from the Bible, that believing Christians refer to when it comes to the end of life as we know it.

The first is a set of “prophecies” or predictions by historical Jewish and Christian writers about the conditions that will precede the end, what it will look like as the end is “occurring” and what will follow. These include extensive passages from the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament) and some from the New Testament, written shortly after Jesus’ death.

The second source is the accounting, in the four Gospels in the New Testament, of the actual teachings of Jesus.

Let’s set aside for the moment skepticism about how authentic these are and grant that a lot of this is accepted as at least fully or partially true by the vast majority of Christians around the world.

These prophesies and predictions are directly tied to a set of beliefs that go like this:

God created the universe and all that is in it. God created mankind for a specific purpose. Things went awry as men and women sought to be their own gods, in essence, and our species is “fallen.” God sent his Son to lead people back into the fold, still giving us choice. We currently live in that time now. The last step is that God will choose a time to make the whole thing right again, return everything to its original purpose. This is the Four-Part Story of which I’ve written before. Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration.(For reference, I wrote a seven-part series that included this in October, 2018.)

Most Christians believe that Jesus will “return” to set things right. When and how that actually happens is open to conjecture. A close reading of scripture generally suggests that those afforded “heaven” as an eternal afterlife, will not be strumming harps and beating their wings while resting on clouds … but, instead, experience a whole new reality that makes the grandest and most joyful experience in this one seem bland and boring.

There are popular versions of the possible End Times scenario, which include a period called the Tribulation. This thinking is connected with the notion that believers will get to bypass a terrible time on earth before things are set to rights. Instead, they will be instantly zipped up to heaven via the Rapture. In this teaching, non-believers will be “left behind” and face plagues, wars and all sorts of vile things, given one last chance to come to belief and be “saved.” The chronic naysayers are in deep trouble. In some Christian circles, there is talk of pre-Trib and post-Trib. The most famous popular depiction of this line of thinking was in the wildly successful series of novels with the apt title Left Behind.

A somewhat softer but non-inconsistent viewpoint on End Times thinking refers to Jesus’ many teachings to his disciples, one of the most direct being that they should keep their “lamps lit,” for they would not know the day or the hour of his return. Not only were they to stay firm with the John 3:16 reminder but they were charged with living out a life based upon Jesus’ example … and with the ever-present thought that his “return” could happen at any moment.

I will explore that a bit in my next piece but I’ll conclude this one with the following thoughts:

There are many, many reasons why I believe that Jesus existed and that the chronicle of his life and teachings are accurate. There are many, many reasons why I made the highly improbable shift from skeptic and critic to believer. I have written on much of this. I do believe that we will all meet Jesus one day, one way or another. That moment will be revelatory, to say the least. Whether the meeting will be before or after our mortal lives are finished, when and how he will “come again,” and whether or not there will be specific major calamities befalling all of us before his arrival … I cannot say with any certainty.

So, yes, however you look at it, I believe we are in unique age in human history and have been for two thousand years, when Jesus’ arrival on the scene changed the entire equation. I recognize that many people don’t see it that way, which I understand.

As a Christian, do I expect that Jesus will soon arrive on a cloud of glory? Sometimes, I hope so but I’m not losing sleep thinking about that. Instead, I try to live as if he may, but knowing full well that he may not.

Next: Transformation in this Life

One of the core beliefs of Christians nearly everywhere is that there is such a thing as life after life. I’ve written about heaven before and I’ll say again here that I think there are some real misconceptions about what and where it is. (See my two-part posts on July 25 and July 27, 2017 if so inclined.)

In fact, the vast majority of human beings throughout all of our history have believed in some form of “life” after we inevitably die. The skeptic or critic might be quick to say that this is one other “god in the gaps,” example where we create alternative scenarios to the one where we just cease to exist altogether. We “create” heaven in order to combat the real and fearsome fact that we are simply dust to dust. Similarly, we create hell in order to ensure that not everyone gets to go to that really good place. And so on.

I’m not writing here to convince anyone that they are an eternal being, created for purpose, the main one of which is to spend that eternity in God’s presence.

Instead, in keeping with this theme of “Who is a Christian?,” I want to touch upon a theological term called “Salvation.”

In a strict dictionary sense, the word means “saving” or “delivering from.” In other words, it’s getting us away from something, presumably a thing that isn’t all that good.

Within the Christian context, it’s a noun. A thing. An event. An act. Fundamentally, it means that an individual who has been “saved” is then in possession of their “salvation.”

To most Christians, this is a big deal. To some Christians, this isn’t just a big deal, it’s the whole enchilada.

You’ll even hear many Christians, especially those whom are Protestant and self-identify as “Evangelical” Protestants (a term that crosses over particular denominational boundaries and is not, in itself, a denomination) claim they know exactly “when” they were “saved.” You might even hear them describe the very instnat of their salvation. This identity as a “saved” person is of utmost importance.

(Of course, that raises all sorts of other questions, frequently but not exclusively from skeptics, like “can someone be “saved” even though they were born into a culture that’s never even heard of Jesus?”)

If you’re willing to stay with me a bit more on this, I’m going to mention here another theological term that is related and that is Justification. As in “Justified by Faith.”

If that’s not familiar, that’s ok. Simply put, this doctrine, or belief, is that there is a moment in time when an individual is “justified” in the eyes of God. This is almost synonymous with being “saved” by God. To be “justified” means to be “made right with God.” In other words, it’s like God says, “Ok, Brad, now you’re on my team. Congratulations. You’re in.” A justified person is a saved person.

(There’s a neat little debate, among those Christians who want to think about these things, about whether a person can “lose” their justification and, therefore, lose their salvation. But, I won’t go there, now.)

Instead, in my mind’s eye, I’ll go to this extremely popular image from awhile back:

Behind home plate at baseball games or somewhere in the stands at a football game, stood a guy with crazy colored hair, jumping up and down, waving a sign that said John 3:16.

Remember him?

I thought he was a religious kook in a comical way as he danced around, waving that sign. I put him in the category of Jesus Freak, a popular moniker of the day. While I’d read a lot of the Bible at that point, I was a pure skeptic and only mildly interested in the famous words of that verse:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Or, in our context … be Justified and Saved.

The prescription is simple: Because God did this, all you have to do is believe in it (God sending his only son) and him (Jesus) … and you’re in.

Really? All I have to do to have eternal life (in heaven) is to believe that Jesus really is the Son of God and that if I believe in him, I get the ticket in? Hmmmmm.

Which also brings to mind a different popular image … this one, the recurring cartoon of St. Peter (Jesus’ somewhat bumbling disciple who later became a true leader in the early Christian church) standing at an artist’s renderings of the gates of heaven (whatever that is). There’s usually a long line of recently deceased people waiting to get in. Presumably, Peter, as the gatekeeper, has some kind of list of who qualifies, or else he’s been granted his own authority. If they have the right ticket, they’re in. Otherwise … well, the cartoon doesn’t usually go there.

We can make fun of these images but they underscore real and powerful Christian beliefs. Beliefs that skeptics and critics find confusing and even upsetting.

In fact, this conflict is one of the key elements involved in the great reform movement launched by Martin Luther. Luther argued that the Church (the only church of that era in that part of the world … Roman Catholic) was actually involved in selling salvation. I mean, really selling. Cash. They were called “indulgences” and were offered as a reward for certain kinds of deliberate acts or payments to church officials. One could buy “salvation” for deceased relatives who would then be able to bypass a kind of holding place or temporary jail called “Purgatory” and walk through those pearly gates. Luther basically said, “Hey, Remember St. Paul and all of his teachings? Remember Jesus? Remember the Bible? None of that is in there. You made this up.”

Instead, Luther claimed we are “Justified (saved) by Grace alone.” That is, the grace that is granted to the unworthy by believing in Jesus.

To this day, the debate rages on what brings about salvation. Many people (not including I) hang on to a belief which I contend is false … that our good deeds are what brings Justification and Salvation.

Alternatively, I contend, like Luther and many others, that it is Grace, the most incomprehensible and powerful force in the universe. Grace alone.

As I move towards a conclusion with this piece, I feel the need to bring up another line of thinking within Christian circles about who can be saved.

(Lest we lose sight of the object here, it’s a core Christian belief that everyone is an eternal being and that God can make a heavenly afterlife available to each of us. Whether you agree with this or not, that’s a major aspect of Christianity.)

There is a position by some Christians and many who are not Christians but who believe in a heavenly afterlife that, eventually, all humans will be saved. All humans will end up in a good place. In the end, none will be rejected by God. There is a theological name for this and it is Universalism. The belief, here, is that a truly and fully loving God will never fully abandon one of his “children.” Yes, it might take time but, what the heck? When we’re talking about eternity and God’s healing power, even Adolf Hitler will be in. I admit, there’s a certain logic to this. In fact, this is a key belief of many who self-categorize as “spiritual but not religious.”

Should one want to get down in the weeds on these issues, there’s plenty of stuff to keep our attention. Libraries are full of the debates and positions. I’ll put it out there that because of how complex these simple concepts can become when put under a microscope, it’s natural to throw up one’s hands and say, “who am I to know?”

That would be right.

On the other hand, I’ve chosen to pick my answer as the one that makes the most sense given all of the things I’ve read, heard, talked and thought about. I admit that I may be only scratching the surface and that I could be misguided on the particulars.

But, I do believe that the doctrines (which, themselves, are beliefs) of Justification and Salvation are largely solid and should not be ignored or dismissed by anyone as they consider what happens upon death.

Speaking of death …

Next: The End Times

Well, now that we’ve got some of that background stuff out of the way …

In the last post, I brought up the point a friend and pastor made about “majoring in the majors” … focusing on the larger or deeper aspects of belief and practice that unify the vast majority of Christian believers and practitioners.

Here are some.

There is one God, although in three parts. This is a puzzling and mysterious thing that makes a lot of sense when looked at from one direction but boggles the mind or seems senseless when looked at from another direction. Theologically, this is called Trinitarianism and says that God is actually a Trinity: Three Persons in One. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This belief in the Trinity is foundational. Set aside questions for the moment and just accept that such a belief is at the core of Christianity and is embraced by the overwhelming number of believing and practicing Christians … Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant.

Another is that there existed an actual historical figure we know of as a man named Jesus, raised in a backwater town called Nazareth in what is now northern Israel. This real person was actually miraculously born of a virgin woman (an approximately 13-year-old girl at the time, we suspect) named Mary. He was the incarnation of the one true God via something referred to as the immaculate conception (no mortal father). In other words, the all-powerful creative God of everything “chose” to become a human being. Christians believe that this person (Jesus) was fully God and fully man, the only time in history that this happened. God Incarnate. Virgin Birth. These are core “orthodox” beliefs.

The next is that this Jesus entered a three-year public “ministry”around the time he was 30. He traveled the region, preaching and teaching a new brand system of thinking, while also performing a whole litany of miracles, including healings and even raising the dead. He gathered “disciples,” or committed followers whom he taught this new way of thinking while also adopting specific practices in how best to live their lives. It is also commonly accepted that he continuously announced his actual identity as the Son of God and that this (as well as some other things) got him into great trouble with the religious leaders of the day in his region. They saw him as a threat to their authority and their core beliefs and practices.

Moving on, a core belief is that Jesus was eventually tried by both the religious and political leadership for a kind of treason and was sentenced to death by crucifixion, which was carried out on the day after Passover. His death occurred on the “first” day, our Friday, and he was buried in the tomb of a somewhat wealthy follower, where he lay on the “second” day, our Saturday. On the “third” day,  goes the belief, some of Jesus’ mourning followers went to the tomb and found it empty, even though it had been guarded by Roman soldiers. Shortly thereafter, on this, our Sunday, Jesus appeared to his followers in physical form. He was “resurrected” from the dead. He stayed among them for forty days, goes the belief, and told them many things before “ascending” to heaven to be fully reunited with the Father. Before leaving, he told them he would send them a “counselor,” a guide of sorts, to dwell inside of each of them and that this counselor would transform them greatly. Hence, the arrival of the third “person” of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who showed up in a big way at an event we now call Pentecost.

These are some big core beliefs. There are others such as the infinite nature of God. He is omniscient (all seeing), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (existing everywhere). While the Holy Spirit can dwell in us, we are not God. God is wholly other (unlike some pantheistic or contemporary “spiritual” beliefs). A common belief is that Christians of all stripes should practice certain things such as setting aside at least one day a week for “corporate worship,” meaning gathering with fellow believers, usually in a physical place commonly known as a church. (This is to be distinguished from another meaning of the word, “church” which is the entire body of believing Christians, unrelated to physical places and buildings.) Most Christian traditions believe in practices that are often termed “sacraments,” a word with deep meaning. Without going into detail on that (and acknowledging that there are some definite differences of opinion on how many there are and what they actually are), the most well-known and commonly-practiced sacraments are baptism (initiation into the faith) and communion (a reflection of the Last Supper or Passover meal when Jesus announced what was going to happen and how and why they should remember him).

From there, things can begin to break down. Differences crop up when it comes to things like the role of Mary, Jesus’ mother (Roman Catholics are more disposed to worship Mary alongside Jesus while Protestants are far less so inclined), the meaning and authority of scripture (the Bible), the true character of God (is he both all-loving and all-judging?), the nature of an afterlife (what is “heaven” like and what is “hell” like, or even whether there is a hell), and the various interpretations of morality, place for social justice, and the “metric” for salvation. This last one is a doozy.

I’m going to get down in the weeds a bit next so feel free to take a snooze or go onto something more interesting. But, if you want to get a better read on a key piece of the Christian faith or to reinforce something you already understand, let’s dive into a big point of contention. I’ll pick it up shortly.

Next: Salvation

I think a lot about what people believe and why … was trained intensely how to do this as an undergraduate, during my year and a half in law school and as a graduate student studying the philosophy of knowledge. I’ve continued that trend through teaching and as one who leads in the process of teaching and learning.

As the world’s most popular belief system, Christianity comes under more than a little scrutiny, not just from without but from within … and deservedly so. Not surprisingly, I often feel called to write about what Christians believe and why. I’m going to try to tackle that in a swift kind of drive-by. For believing Christians, I hope to affirm some things as well as maybe provide a couple of new insights. For people who read these posts but are skeptical about the claims of Christianity for all sorts of reasons, I hope to provide some more context that might help. I guess we’ll see.

* * * * *

Those who don’t buy into the Christian story have a lot of reasons not to. We so-called Christians should not be smug about this.

One of those reasons is that it’s hard to nail down, exactly, what defines a Christian. Despite being the most popular belief system in the world, this thing we can loosely call Christianity is actually a hodgepodge of all sorts of different ideas and interpretations. Atheists and non-Christians have a field day with this. I don’t blame them.

Setting aside the long historical record, an authentic accounting of which fills entire libraries, there are some key differences. If one wants to understand at a deeper level what those are, it’s worth spending a few minutes considering them. Maybe this is of interest to you, the reader, or not. But here goes.

On the most simplistic of levels, I’ll identify four major eras of Christianity.

(1) The first is the early church. In essence, the word “church” is meant to express how and why believers are organized into a community. There’s a ton of theology on this but let’s not go there, here. The early church, begun following Jesus’ purported resurrection from the dead, literally exploded throughout the broader Roman Empire, largely through the ministry of the famous convert, Paul (referred to as St. Paul by many), formerly the Pharisee and Jewish leader and persecutor of Christians, known as Saul of Tarsus. These early Jesus-followers belonged to something they called the “Way.” Eventually, the term “Christian” was accepted as they formed communities in lands governed by Rome. While many of them were Jews by tradition, many were not. This latter group were called “gentiles” by the early Jewish Jesus-followers. After centuries of persecution, the first Roman emperor to fully accept Christianity was Constantine in 313 AD.

(2) This launched the second major era, that of the official Roman Church. Jesus reportedly informed his most notable disciple, Peter, that upon him, the church would be founded. In a loose sense, then, Peter was the first “pope.” (That is why popes are referred to as filling the shoes of the “fisherman.” Peter, of course, was a fisherman in Galilee.) This Roman church was the only authority over this emerging religion. While there were local church leaders (bishops in the hierarchy, usually centered in regional cities), the Bishop of Rome was the “pope.”

(3) The third major era spanned a couple of centuries after a pope crowned a French fellow named Charles Magnus (we know him as Charlemagne), the Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. This was a new deal that upset eastern regions of Christianity that eventually fully broke away in the Great Schism of 1054 AD. Hence, we had the Eastern Orthodox Church (ultimately, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Chaldean, Coptics and so on) and the Roman Catholic Church. This broad split was not only geographic and political, it was also theological to a degree. I won’t go into the particulars because most people reading this are unfamiliar with Eastern Orthodoxy.

In the West, or Europe as we know it, the Roman Catholic Church held sway, with its various peculiarities. Popes, cardinals, monastic orders, crusades and so on. Any objective view of the Medieval church will chronicle all sorts of abuses of the original teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and the subsequent teaching of Paul, via his “epistles” (letters to far flung churches he’d launched) … collectively known as the New Testament. From the standpoint of some, especially the German monk, Martin Luther, these were abominable and needed to stop.

(4) This viewpoint exploded when Luther published his objections and called from reforming the Church in 1517 AD. His “protest” and call for “reform,” gained tremendous steam which is why that movement was called the Protestant Reformation and its descendants called Protestants. Over in merry England a couple of decades later, famous King Henry VIII was unhappy that the Roman Catholic pope would not grant him a divorce, so the English Parliament voted to disassociate from the Roman Church, declaring Henry to be the leader of the alternative Church of England. Interestingly, of all Protestant Churches, the English Church (Anglican in England and some parts of the world and Episcopalian in America) fundamentally held onto many of the tenets and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

And, so the Reformation swept the West and spawned many new Christian denominations. Among them, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anabaptists and Baptists, Congregationalists, Quakers, Pentecostalists, and so on. This is one reason why, when you ask some people to simply define their faith, you’ll get the response, “I’m a Catholic.” Or, “I’m a Christian.” Typically, although not universally, followers of the Roman Catholic tradition don’t naturally call themselves “Christian” when first prompted, while followers of Protestant traditions don’t usually call themselves “Protestant” when first prompted. Go figure.

This fourth phase is still going on as more breakoffs and schisms continue. Some denominations like Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the LDS Church (Church of Latter Day Saints … or Mormons) are viewed with deep suspicion or outright scorn by the “mainstream” Christian denominations. They are even characterized as “cults” in some quarters. Other splits are occurring within those Mainstream Protestant churches (Diane and I attend a church that belongs to the Presbyterian Church of America … PCA … as opposed to our former church which was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA … PCUSA. They hold some differing theological and political viewpoints). Furthermore, there are often large “mega-churches” which are often independent and not specifically affiliated with a major organizational denomination. In San Diego, three of these are The Rock Church, Emmanuel Faith Church and Maranatha Church.

All of this is more than enough to make our heads spin and rightfully wonder how it’s possible to authentically follow Jesus in the 21^st century. As I said at the beginning, this is proof to the skeptic and critic that Christianity as a religion is a mess … and therefore unreliable.

Yes. And, yes.

Yes, it’s a mess. And, yes, it’s unreliable. Unless …

When faced with all of this and the resulting questions from skeptics or those searching, one pastor friend of ours said, “let’s major on the majors.” This is good advice.

Setting aside all of the organizational differences, there is this concept called “Orthodoxy.” The word means “generally accepted.” In other words, “orthodox” beliefs are those fundamental beliefs that are held to be truthful by a large swath of the population. “Unorthodox” means something that is contrary to commonly held beliefs or practices.

Within that large swath of Christianity as a whole, there are some unifying beliefs and practices. These beliefs and practices remain relatively consistent, fully acknowledging that there are many “smaller” differences.

To Be Continued …

Next: Core Beliefs

As I reflect on a quiet morning, gazing out our front window with snoozing dogs close by, I have moments to reflect on the nature of this unique day.

A few moments ago, I finished a contemplative piece by an extremely bright and lucid writer I follow, which put me in the mood to write, myself. I don’t always agree with this man (who seems to be equally accomplished in his deep understanding of most of the major forces and themes that define us as at this time) but I agree with him more often than not and I never go away without learning something. That’s worth a lot, these days.

After a long preamble in which he made observations about what it is like to live in this current situation, he segued into the true object of his piece, the day we call Easter.

He writes, “To say that the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection is unlikely is to be far too generous. It is preposterous. It is absurd.”

He’s right.

For Christians, this is the most important day of the year, even more important than Christmas, which might come as news to non-Christians. It is the hinge upon which all of reality is fastened. The one true God just doesn’t become a man, come to save the world and then die horribly … only to raise from the tomb, saying all sorts of preposterous things.

No one who wanted to start a religion would ever make this up. Gods are not weak and vulnerable. Men do not claim to actually be God in a way that convinces dozens, then hundreds, then thousands, then millions, then billions of people that one actually is. There is no other belief system in all of history that makes any such claim.

As the writer said, and I agree, the story is preposterous.

No wonder so many doubt! Even believing Christians struggle with the enormity of it all, should they be honest.

No wonder the story is dismissed and even laughed off as a fairy tale, a myth, even a purposeful deception as a kind of power-grab.

I think it’s rather simple when you cut away at it. Of course it’s preposterous.

But, is it true?

If it’s not true, then billions of people over time have been deceived, misguided, and are left with an abyss, as the core of their beings has been exposed as a falsehood, thereby destroying not only their identify but the foundation for much of contemporary civilization.

They are left with something akin to that massive tree in the forest that, struck viciously by lightning, is now a lifeless hulk, blackened and desolate.

On the other hand, if it is true, it really did happen and Jesus was and is who he said, then we have no alternative but to be on our knees. The magnitude of that is staggering.

Preposterous and true, simultaneously.

Easter in America, as I recently wrote, is basically a children’s day. Pastel colors, storybook rabbits and bunnies, painted eggs, laughter, food and (hopefully) cheery good moments with friends and family. The adults, like at Christmas, look at the day through children’s eyes and they smile with glad hearts. It is a happy day.

But, to most believing Christians who profess to follow Jesus, this is Resurrection Day, a day to celebrate a preposterous miracle (that’s a redundancy, of course, because all miracles are preposterous!) and it is met not just with happiness but with pure joy.

It is a joy that explodes in the heart and mind. It is a joy that refreshes the weary soul, that brings hope and healing to whatever brokenness has grabbed hold of our current situation. It is a joy that is but a small drip in a vast ocean when compared with what awaits. But, make no mistake, that joy is life-sustaining in its magnitude here and now.

To my friends who might be reading this but are suspicious of the claims of the story, I understand and respect your doubts. I wish you wisdom and strength in your search for the truth.

To my friends and family who, despite the preposterous claims of the story, are convinced of its truth,

He is risen.

God Bless one and all.

Yes. Really.

Well, maybe not what a lot of people think.

My last two posts, on the reality and concept of plague (connected to both Easter and the nature of our identity) were a kind of indirect way of dealing with the theological concepts of Sin and Redemption.

No, I’m not going to toss around more buzz words here. But the meaning behind those two words are important. I’d argue they’re almost the whole ballgame. Let’s see why.

First, let’s get this word “sin” out of the way. I was Zoom-talking with a wise friend early this morning (7am and coffee in-hand) and we agreed that this particular word presents a massive barrier to conversations between Christians and those who are skeptical or hostile to its claims. This makes complete sense.

I may be going way out on a limb here (and I haven’t consulted the ironclad results of a Google search) but I’d hazard a guess that, if your average non-Christian were to be asked on the street to share what they think the word means, they’d say something like,

“It’s stuff that Christians think they shouldn’t do.”

Or, “It’s things Christians say are immoral.”

In other words, bad stuff that Christians identify as immoral behavior. As this line of thinking goes, one can list them specifically. I believe that list will be heavily populated with behaviors having to do with sex. By extension, that list might include other “vices,” activities that Christians believe are also immoral. In some quarters that will include gambling, drinking, and even dancing.

Moral behavior is therefore good and immoral behavior is therefore bad. Immoral behavior should be battled so that Christians should behave well and (also be extension in many Christian communities), therefore, find favor with God.

Now, while I agree that one can come up with lists and categories of behaviors and attitudes that are bad, it’s really the “reason” that they are bad that needs to be clarified. And, in that reason is the understanding of the nature of the concept of sin.

As I’ve been trying to say, God seeks a relationship with us. (People might disagree on this point but this is what I believe, with good reason.) He actually seeks more than a mere “relationship” with us. He wants that relationship to be deeply loving. In fact, since he’s the basis of all love and he’s God, for goodness sake, he wants us to experience that love on the most fundamental level. He wants that love to infuse every piece of our being. And, he wants it to be a two-way street. Love him as he loves us. This was and is his original intention. It’s always been that way and will always be that way. We are free to believe this and to structure our lives around this and we are free to disregard this and structure our lives around other things. Love cannot exist without choice. Love is an intentional act. Machines cannot love. So, God lets us choose. (I don’t want to go into the complexities of Free Will here so please give me a little latitude!)

So, here’s the deal. When we make choices that interfere or impede this loving relationship with God, that’s not good. Good is a loving relationship with God. Bad is that which obstructs that loving relationship. God knows this. Jesus taught this. Religious leaders through the ages have preached this. But, there’s a problem.

And this is a large part of that problem. When we place our full attention on the lists of don’ts, we can easily lose sight of the true object of our attention, God. We may think that we are focusing on God but, often, that’s not the case. We may be incorrectly focusing on God as some figure we want to please by avoiding certain things. But, that’s not the main point. In fact, by focusing on these lists … which can end up being endless … we become rigid about our own behaviors and lose sight of the love.

Unfortunately, many Christians get pulled off the true path and end up traveling down false roads that lead away from the main objective. A rigid following of rules and intense concentration on “behaving appropriately,” is a surefire way of leading to judgementalism and self-righteousness. I know Christians who are stiff, lack joy, and are quick to point out faults in others.

There’s a reason Jesus said to a similar group of observant and religious people: “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”  They were heartless and judgmental, believing that their job was to eradicate immoral behavior as defined in long lists.

I imagine many people have an image of scolding old men and women when they hear the word, “sin.”

In fact, they might want to look through the eyes of the woman about to be stoned, naked and vulnerable, ashamed of her misguided priorities. Who and what did she see? What did she hear?

She saw Jesus, this Rabbi and “religious” leader who did not behave like all the other sanctimonious religious leaders. I believe she saw softness and a kind of compassionate sorrow. He graciously lifted her up in a way that showed deep love and he said,“Go and sin no more.” In other words, “You can choose to live differently and I’m showing you what’s available if you do.”

It wasn’t the satisfaction that she would now become a “rule follower” and, therefore more accepted in the community. It wasn’t condemnation for past behavior and, by changing that behavior she could curry favor with the powerful.

It was the piercing revelation that she was deeply loved and that this love was 100% available to her at all times. She didn’t need to find worth and value in activities that blinded her to that love. I expect she, like many millions and millions who have had similar revelations, emerged into a brand-new reality that transformed her life.

To bring up that other related “theological” concept: She was redeemed. She was washed clean. Given new life. The word, “redemption,” means to compensate for something. Make payment for a debt, if you will.

To conclude these three posts during a brief period that many Christians call Holy Week, the thing that most “plagues” us is the belief that we are on our own, perhaps trying to be good persons but finding ourselves thinking and behaving at times that we know, deep down, are not healthy for us. We search for identity, meaning, value, and worth in things that are transitory and are often or eventually disappointed.

My takeaway for this week is that we all fall short of living the life we were designed to live. We all think and behave in ways that pull us away from the loving arms of God. Yes, we can construct lists of these things but let’s not get distracted.

For Jesus says to each of us, “I’ve got this. This is who I am and this is why I came. I am the Redeemer and, by my actions, I have set you free. Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you life.”

Thank you, Jesus.

Speaking of Plague …

I’m of the mind that what most plagues us is not physical illness, although that can certainly be awful and debilitating but is, instead, a matter of our identity.

Of course, this is not a thing that is ever-present in our consciousness. In fact, it’s usually hidden beneath all sorts of layers. However, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the question of our identity is foundational to all else.

What better time to think about this than when we are hunkered down, wondering what in blazes is going on and what will eventually happen to our communities and broader civilization.

If much of my identity is wrapped up in the work I do, the job I hold in order to generate income, then for many of us, that’s changed. Yes, I may be fortunate enough to still have the job (either at my regular worksite or, remotely, from home) but a lot about that job has shifted. (In my own case, should I still be a high school principal, what does that mean when I can’t leave my house?)

If my identity is wrapped up in being a husband or wife, what does that look like when we no longer have space to be apart, to pursue separate interests outside the home? Or, if my identity is wrapped up in being a parent, what does that mean when all of my school-age children (even the adult ones home from college!) are in my space 24/7?

I’ve come to believe that one’s identity is defined by our perception of our purpose, our authentic reason for being. Now, that’s a loose conclusion drawn from basic psychology and philosophy. By “being,” I mean the real reason we’re here.

It should almost go without saying that the flippant answer would be, “Well, I’m here because I’m alive. I was brought into this world through a natural procreative act by my parents.” Of course. But, then, what else? Biologically, our “reason of being” is to stay alive through whatever means we use as well as to procreate in order to perpetuate the species. Then, perhaps (in a somewhat morbid sense) it’s to decompose so as to send the physical and chemical properties of our bodies back into the natural realm from whence they came in the first place.

But, returning to the job, spouse, and parent labels (among others), nearly all of us intuit or dwell upon other reasons for being alive. These are our priorities for how we organize our attentions and behaviors. And, our priorities are a reflection of our identity.

Many of the grand philosophical questions such as “Why are we here?” “What is my purpose?” “Does my life have meaning?” and the like aren’t normal dinner table conversation or even the cause for that much actual reflection. Nevertheless, I suspect nearly all of us try to answer these, one way or the other, even if we don’t consciously do so.

Which brings us back to the plague.

If the Christian story is true, whether or not you accept the full “orthodox” version or choose to pick some pieces to believe and others to disbelieve, the term “plague” as I’m using it here is the lie that we are alone and, ultimately, unloved and unforgiven.

Regardless of one’s brand of faith, it is true that we will be forgotten fairly quickly (in relative terms) after we die. Perhaps, we will be recalled with some fondness for a couple of generations by descendants but, following them, we will disappear into obscurity and our “meaning” along with it. Certainly, the love we’ve had for others (and them for us) will no longer exist. How discomforting is that?

The thing that plagues us is this belief that we exist for a brief time and our “purpose” is to master that time … to control it best we can in the hopes that we can avoid suffering as much as possible and pursue some form of happiness while alive.

If this self-imposed approach is false, then the disease that constricts us is truly debilitating.

For, the Christian story clearly presents a situation where we are actually eternal beings and that we are loved regardless of our failures and inadequacies. In this sense, we “belong” to a family that is designed to love, is infused with grace, and wherein we can freely choose to experience this forever. The lie says this is not true. The lie says live for the moment, get what you can and do your best to cheat the grave.

I spoke with a man last year who admitted (after awhile) that he did believe in God and could even accept that Jesus was some form of God incarnate. Following further prompting, he said he believes in an afterlife and is hopeful that his will be a good one. When I asked him if everyone gets to live in a good afterlife, he paused and decided, no. He could not conceive that a really bad and evil person would “get to” live in such a place. When I asked him if there are some sorts of rules that govern who gets to the end up in the desired place, he said yes, there are. When I asked him who or what actually determines the rules and the results, he said it’s God.

And, then came the clincher. When I asked him about the conditions, principles or “metric” by which God “judges” who is in and who is out, he said, “it’s whether or not you’re a good person.” When I asked him what defines “good” in this sense, he struggled and then added, “But, I hope that God will see me as basically a good person.”

I then asked him whether he believed God knows everything about us and he said, “yes, he’s God, so yes, he does.” I then asked, “Do you believe God knows every thought you’ve ever had?” He quickly saw where this was going and paused. I don’t remember his exact words but they were something to the effect of, “Oh, I think I’m in trouble.”

I know this man and I know that he tries to bring good into the world. He also admits that he can be unlikable and that he will need forgiveness when it’s time. Yet, he also says he cannot change who he is. He just hopes that it will work out in the end.

The thing that most saddened me about this exchange is his conclusion that he can’t change. He is who he is and that’s it. He’s open, philosophically, to the idea that there is a God and the potential for a good life after this one, but his perception of his own identity is reflective of neither. He perceives that there are supernatural “rules” that govern the reality from God’s point of view, but he misses the main point.

If we act like we’re alone in this life, save for some of the things I listed above that organize our lives, then we don’t see ourselves as actually “belonging” to God. This “belongingness” is the basis of our purpose. And this purpose defines our identity.

I’m of the belief that our purpose is to partner with God for the life of the world and I’m also of the belief (with good reason) that the byproduct of that partnership is that we get to know and love him.

And, through that loving interaction, we get to glimpse heaven while still on this side. The sickness, or thing that plagues us, is that we are not in a loving relationship with God and that we don’t need to trust him in all things, regardless of the outcome. Yes, we may suffer … even greatly. But, in the end, that suffering doesn’t even register on the radar against the ultimate reality that can await us. By admitting our frailty and asking for help, we get to participate in the cure that Jesus unleashed on the world when he walked out of the tomb.

That’s what we celebrate this Sunday.

 

 

 

 

Technically, the word “plague” refers to the terrible scourge that ravaged Europe in the 14^thcentury, ultimately felling a full third of the population. In a more general sense, the word can refer to any widespread illness or even a thing that causes trouble and even despair. However you cut it, plague is not a positive.

As I write after a long absence from these pages, we humans are facing a new kind of ravaging, something not seen on this scale in a hundred years, since the flu influenza following the end of WWI. In this technically advanced world (at least in the developed part of it) we’re not supposed to die by the millions from some unseen little organism. Yes, we’ve thought about it and have even seen some frightening precursors to our current bug (MERS, SARS, etc…). We’ve even planned for it. But, for whatever reason or set of reasons, we were not adequately prepared for this latest attack. It is shaking us hard, even to our knees.

Some of us in North America and Europe are more than a little inconvenienced. We “shelter in place,” reduce our venturing outside, search for and fret about supplies, worry about those we know who are at “high risk.” For others, the disease is very up front and personal. While we somehow just go year-to-year accepting many tens of thousands of deaths from seasonal flu (in our country at least), or tens of thousands of deaths in our inner cities from the violence born of gangs and drugs or other tens of thousands of deaths from another “epidemic” caused by opioid abuse, we are struck by the unique and terrifying nature of a thing now called by various names: Covid19, the Corona Virus, the Wuhan Virus and so on.

And yet.

While it’s been many months since I’ve written, it’s no surprise to anyone who happens upon this latest posting, that I follow Jesus and have done so with a singular purpose for just over fifteen years now. I may have written somewhere near one thousand single-spaced pages by now. Periodically, I transfer them into an informal “manuscript,” the title of which is Love Letters to God: A Pilgrim’s Journey. Most of you probably don’t know that. As of now, there is no end in sight that I can see!

So, yes, I’m what most people would call a Christian. As much as I don’t like buzz words and labels because they often simplify when complexity is more appropriate or they stereotype when depth is called for, I accept the title. I was at least as surprised as anyone when it became thunderously evident on a March evening in 2005 that that’s what I was. Never in my wildest dreams …

Of course, Easter is traditionally celebrated in our culture as a kind of rite of spring. From the dreariness of winter and (at least in some Christian traditions) the emergence form the Lenten observance, Easter is quite the secular celebration as well. Flowers and bonnets and bunnies, it’s a children’s holiday like Christmas.

One wonders about this year. I expect families will still do their best to bring Easter to their children but, with social distancing and the other restraints, one can’t really imagine extended families and good friends congregating for Easter dinner and large Easter egg hunts. It promises to be a very toned-down Sunday, a week away as of this writing.

But, that’s all not really my point or what prompted me to get my laptop out this afternoon.

Of course, I subscribe to the worldview that there is a supernatural and all powerful creative and loving force we know as God. This God knows me personally and loves me regardless. Loves me unconditionally, as a matter of fact. I was shocked beyond belief to discover this. I’m still shocked today.

And, speaking of shocking, we are asked to believe that this God who is vast beyond our wildest imagination, chose to become one of us and, while alive, taught us and showed us how to live, also explaining the true nature of all reality. But, that’s only the half of it.

The other half was violently thrust upon mankind on a desolate hill outside the City of Peace (Jerusalem). This Emmanuel (God Among Us) was discarded like trash after arriving triumphently (as prophesied) the prior week on what we now call Palm Sunday. Yes, he was tortured and left to die a horrible death but that’s in fact only a side story to what really happened.

If what we are told to believe really did not happen, then the Christian is blind and without purpose. People like me are to be pitied … as we are in many quarters, while despised in others. We were and are duped. We believe in something truly absurd. There never was a God Made Into Man and certainly not the one believed by billions through the millenia.

On the other hand, if it’s true, everything changed. Everything.

This is extremely hard to believe if one does not believe. Should one believe, it actually makes perfect sense, accepting of course that this “makes perfect sense” does not mean there are not big questions begging investigation and calling for some kind of resolution.

What happened on that hill is that Jesus intentionally took on all of mankind’s sins and purposefully separated himself from his Father. In our present context, he took on the Greatest Plague of All … and died. God Become Man became Sin in our place and carried it to his death. My sin. Yours. All of it.

This is a very tough thing for moderns to hear because, well, you know, sin is not a popular subject for our attention. Heck, we’re promised happiness and we search however we can to get it. Damn the consequences.

Little did these first followers of Jesus know what he did on that fateful crucifixion Friday, the day after celebrating the Passover Feast. Little did they know that the blood of the lamb that marked the doors of the Hebrew people enslaved in Egypt many centuries before was now the blood of the Lamb of God. And, little did they know that, like when death “passed over” their marked houses, death would pass over the Son of Man, too.

I was raised to see Easter as the spring version of Christmas … a thing seen through a child’s eyes. Later, both were opportunities to feast with families and friends and so share smiles and laughter.

Today, and for the last fifteen years, Easter is really Resurrection Sunday, the day that Jesus rose from the dead, having defeated the Plague and offering eternal life, the only perfect cure.

I first heard his voice on Easter and will, without a doubt, hear it permanently in my next life.

I have no crystal ball to know what the coming weeks and months will bring. Who knows how our world will be changed? This current pandemic is stretching us and causing shockwaves everywhere. Personally, I’m in that high risk category and know what it’s like to desperately seek oxygen with diseased lungs. It’s terrifying. I pray that we are able to defeat this thing much sooner rather than later and that we will be better prepared the next time around.

But, regardless of what happens, I take comfort in knowing that the thing that has most plagued mankind throughout our entire existence is no match for God’s grace and perfect love.

Amen.