Making sense of Christianity

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him (1 John 3:1).

The world just doesn’t know what to make of Christians.

Consider our history. Christians refused to worship the gods of Rome or fight in her armies; when they were arrested and executed for treason, those Christians sang praises to God as they died in terrible pain. During the Dark Ages, Christian monks devoted their lives to making hand-written copies of the Bible, instead of finding a wife and raising children to carry on the family name. During the years of the Black Death, Christians risked infection with an incurable disease to care for the sick and dying.

Consider our beliefs. We believe in a God who is Father, Son and Spirit, yet is one God, not three. We believe in a God who punished His own Son for our evil ways. We believe in a God who forgives sins without demanding anything in return except our love. We believe in a God who fills us with life by eating His body and drinking His blood when we take Communion. Yet this God remains unseen; we only experience Him through the words that speak from His Book.

Consider our outlook on life. We value service over power. We value respect over pride. We value giving over having. We don’t think of death as a friend, nor do we fear its coming. We are willing to admit our mistakes, and we are willing to forgive those who have hurt us. We respect authority. We don’t like gossip. We don’t worry about tomorrow.

The world doesn’t know what to make of this. Christians don’t behave like everyone else. Christians don’t think like everyone else. Some think we’re deluded. Some think we’re crazy. Some think we’re dangerous. But the world doesn’t ‘get’ us because it doesn’t know Jesus. The world only sees things through the distorted lens of sin; Jesus reveals the truth. He demonstrates what true love is. He forgives our mistakes and mends what we have broken. He gives us the confidence to face each problem with hope. He gives us faith to accept the unexplainable. He shows us how to live with no worries and no regrets. He opens our minds to eternity. Life can be confusing, chaotic, downright scary. Only Jesus can offer life that really makes sense.