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Posts Tagged ‘Luke 6:31’

THE CONUNDRUM OF COMPLEXITY

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 6, 2025| 1 Comment »

When the actor famous for portraying Harry Potter says he has a “problem with religion,” I just nod my head in silent agreement.

I’ll bet when you think about religion, the most you can come up with is judgmental, stone-hearted people telling others they’re going to hell, correct? Well, I’m right there with you.

So let’s talk about something that I regard as quite different: faith/spirituality. I can tell you that as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I DO NOT have all the answers and I don’t know of a single honest Jesus follower who thinks any different.

That said, Jesus followers DO have answers to many of life’s most pressing questions, like why are we here (to have a relationship with our creator and tell others about Him), and is there life beyond death (yes!). But many, many others remain unanswered. And that’s OK because God is God and we are NOT.

Are humans complex? Heck YES. Just consider all the denominations in the Christian faith: Roman Catholic, Baptist, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Alliance, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Lutheran and many more. Regardless of what they think of each other, that certainly proves that Jesus followers are an example of the complexity Daniel Radcliffe mentions.

When Radcliffe, an atheist, says we humans often change our minds on issues, I agree. And that’s a GREAT reason, in my opinion, to follow Jesus of Nazareth.

Without an unchanging moral centre upon which to base your life, consider these questions:

  • How do you know if your opinion on any issue is right?
  • How do you know that you won’t change your mind on something important, then embarrassingly wonder how you ever believed the opposite viewpoint?
  • How do you know if your actions are really, REALLY correct? If it’s just your opinion, then it’s based on nothing but your subjective worldview.

I’m not wise enough, virtuous enough or mature enough to have a worldview that’s solid enough to base my life upon. Let me be bold and declare I think the same way about Radcliffe’s worldview. And YOURS.

By following Jesus of Nazareth, I know there’s lots of room for complexity (unlike religion) while still sticking to the objective truth of doing the good things for other people that you would want them to do for you (the “Golden Rule”). The truth of setting aside my selfish, self-centred ego and trusting something (Someone!) bigger and better than me. The truth of accepting Jesus’s radical statement – made to anyone willing to listen – that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

If you give any credibility to Jesus and His statements, what are you going to do about the previous paragraph? Our culture insists you should ignore it and go shopping, but I bet that if you’ve read this far, you’re ready and willing to resist that siren call.

I suggest looking reading the four original accounts of Jesus’s life, ministry, death and resurrection (the “Gospels”). Take your questions to a Jesus follower (my email: fdking@hotmail.com) and keep your mind open. It could change your life for the better!

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WANTING IT ALL

Posted in Special Days, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2014| 20 Comments »

Dear Santa: I want it all!As I walked into my gym for a workout, I saw this stocking hanging amongst other Christmas decorations and it immediately set my mind racing.

OK, so most of us would never admit to wanting it all. But hey, isn’t that the message our culture tells us? Get, get, get, get. Don’t have the savings? Then put it on credit. Make your Christmas wants clear and make sure your loved ones know it if they don’t come through for you.

In our better moments, we know this isn’t what Christmas is supposed to be about. And yet, the pressure is ON. We’ve been conditioned in ways we can’t even detect to have certain expectations and to keenly feel those expectations from loved ones.

When I think about this, I realize this is part of why I struggle with Christmas and why there are lot of Grinches out there. We just don’t want to be part of this emotional cesspool of expectations and disappointments.

So what do we want? Let me venture a viewpoint: we want a day that is truly HOLY. A day that transcends the numbing daily routine of life – not because we try to make it different, but because it IS different.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, where winter tends to be colder and darker, Christmas can be seen as a light in that darkness. As hope in what can feel like a hopeless season for sun-deprived people. In other words, holy.

How is this possible? Let’s consider the spiritual point of view. All the best known faith systems articulate what we can (and must) do to connect with our creator. It’s up to us to pray more, sacrifice more, worship more, give more, meditate more. How can any of us know when it’s enough?

Now consider Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. Most people who believe in Him and follow Him understand that at its heart, Christmas is not about us doing. It’s about God doing. Christmas is about our creator seeing our broken condition and reaching out to us — coming to earth as a helpless baby born in an obscure Middle Eastern village.

We never have to wonder if we’ve prayed enough, sacrificed enough, worshipped enough, given enough. God did the heavy lifting and that child grew up to change the world through outrageous ideas like loving your enemy, forgiving no matter what and making it clear that eternity in Heaven is available to EVERYONE, no matter who they are (or aren’t), no matter what they’ve done (or haven’t done).

So what difference does that make to you and me? When you accept the gift of Jesus Christ — who sacrificed His life to make up for all the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we haven’t done — this is what will happen:

  • You’ll see all people with new eyes as you understand they are loved by God just as much as you.
  • You’ll realize that life isn’t about getting rich, buying the biggest flat-screen TV going and getting praise and admiration from others.
    Jesus explained what it’s about in one of the original-source documents about His life: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.”
  • You’ll come to understand that this life isn’t all there is — in fact, it’s just the introduction to eternity.
  • You’ll start to love Christmas because it’s concrete, life-changing evidence of God’s powerful, active love for His creation.

Does this make sense? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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