There was a time when I stayed with Christianity, but I was not happy to do so. Best reason and experience told me to stay, but desire pushed me toward the door.
I stayed.
Thank God.
Good teachers (some not Christian) demanded I keep thinking, putting ideas to the test, and growing up. Life is not one jolly holiday with Jesus, but life has been deeply good, true, and beautiful. Maybe I could have gained these things without being a Christian, but this is my experience and I am thankful.
None of it is due to me, all to Him, and I am learning as I go. It’s easy to see how I could be better, but I am glad I am better than I was.
Jesus is the Logos (Word) of God, so I try to love reason.
One aspect of the nature of Jesus (see John 1) is to be divine word or logic. Knowing God has encouraged me to think, even about what God allegedly said.
Jesus lived a life where right ideas led to right action.
If you say you love people and do not care for the poor, you lie. Good intentions without good works are dead. As a philosopher, I love ideas, but Christianity reminds me that acting on good ideas is being like Jesus. The Logos incarnated Himself, put the Divine Word into a human body. I need to put skin on my good ideas!
Jesus knew that bad ideas rot the mind and end up in bad actions.
Obvious fact: all of us are happy if our neighbor hates us, but doesn’t act out his hatred! Sadly, as any therapist can tell you, all that hate is not good for a person. He might be a better neighbor to keep the hate to himself, but it would be better if he could let that hate go.
Jesus taught this deep truth: thoughts can harm a person. If you think of women as objects, then you are not only more likely to treat women badly, but you are harming yourself. A man is cutting himself from the other half of humanity, a voice he needs to hear, when he “lusts in his heart.”
If you hate people in your heart, but do not act on it, then you
Jesus told me to “love my enemies” and so I am trying to do so.
Jesus had hard debates with his opponents and was willing to use the rhetorical style of His time. Read the Gospels and you see a man willing to engage in hard discourse.
This same Jesus told us to love our enemies. So I try to disagree, even hit hard when I must, but without animus. After a debate or dialog, I never recall not having a good chat with my “opponent.” That is not due to my good nature, but an attempt (with God’s help) to obey Jesus’ wise words.
Jesus made taking on corruption on His team His first priority.
Jesus also saved most of His hard words for people in His camp: the Pharisees. Our best defense of the Faith is to tell the truth (best we can) about people on our team. Of course, that begins by acknowledging our own problems!
Jesus did not compromise integrity for power or convenience.
Ethics are for hard choices. When it is easy to love our neighbor, we do. When we should not lie, or compromise integrity for a job, but honesty and consistency cost, then ethics buttress our flagging will.
Jesus is bringing us to a great party.
The Kingdom of Heaven is described as a feast. There are tough times in life, but I recollect the feast. Every day is a microcosm of the macrocosm: we live in the day as we will live in the Great Day of the Lord. As a result, even in the harder days, I do what I can to bring jollification.
I am glad to be a Christian. Nothing is forbidden to me, even if not all is beneficial. Grace. Mercy. Justice. Truth. This is hard to do, but the Faith also gives me this prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me.
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