Why should I follow Jesus? Well, there are many reasons and none of them have to do with going to heaven or avoiding hell when he dies. In fact, none of the reasons involve calling yourself a Christian or belonging to a Christian church in Kansas City or anywhere else! It’s okay to do it, but it’s not required.

Most of us who have experienced much of life will look at the many biblical promises of long life and prosperity to worship God with sentiments that at least border on healthy skepticism. The wisdom literature of the Bible reflected a prevailing philosophy that was widely taught in biblical times. Essentially, the teaching was that being healthy and rich was a sign of being blessed by God, while being poor or sick or even female was an indication of being forsaken by God. In many ways, this belief is still widely held today, at least on some level.

It may be true, as Jesus and the prophets taught, that God is on the side of the poor and oppressed, but most of them are still poor and oppressed. Sometimes we are too, or we are alone, we are afraid, we suffer or we feel pain. Where are we with God and where is God with us? Surely God’s promise is not that simple: that having faith, obeying the Ten Commandments, or going to church will result in happiness, wealth, and long life. So what is the true promise of God regarding how we live, believe and act? What is the promise behind the promise?

This article reflects the third of a half dozen reasons for my faith and why I choose, in my life’s journey, to follow Jesus. Through this series, I share some of the reasons for my faith, why I choose, in the path of my life, to follow Jesus. The first reason was “joy.” The second reason is the “promise of abundance.” Today’s third reason only becomes visible when we look beyond the promises of ancient wisdom: long life, no suffering, etc. It is a promise that goes beyond the usual promises of almost all the religions of our world. It is a promise that all religions, beliefs and philosophies really point to. I follow Jesus because he showed me the truth about life, the truth about what lies behind the universe.

Surely you have heard of the famous Faustian pact of selling your soul to the devil. Now I haven’t done that, and imagine you haven’t either, but I’m aware of some deals I’ve made with God: “I’ll be good and you’ll make sure nothing catastrophic happens.” “I will go to church and praise you, and you will bless my life.” Or even “I’ll follow the rules and you promise not to attack me!” I guess most of us make or have made some deals with God.

For many Christians, the decision to follow Jesus was something of a bargain. Some call it fire insurance: a desire to secure a heavenly life in the afterlife, an eternal paradise, and avoid the consequences of eternal punishment. In fact, the explicit promise of the Christian faith, as presented to most people, is the safety of heaven and the avoidance of hell. You get a guaranteed reservation in heaven and fire insurance just in case, all for identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus. And other religions do the same.

There is a lot to talk about in terms of heaven and hell, what they are and what they represent, but that is not the topic of today. (I have written about heaven and hell in sermons and have two chapters in my next book on them. There are a few problems I see with this scenario. First, this whole idea of ​​a deal with God seems to me far less than the intimate relationship that I see promised by faith. Second, this approach leads some religions to see themselves as guardians of heaven and key players with respect to hell. They say, “It’s our way or the highway!” what Jesus challenged the Temple? in his own time? The two major religions of our day, Christianity and Islam, are famous for this point of view. You follow Jesus or you’re going to… You follow Mohammed or you’re going to. .., well, you know… .

There are a few more problems with that idea of ​​religion. It tends to reduce God, Yahweh, Allah, to an executor of religion. A reduced God is not God! This approach gives religion the leading role in terms of our eternal existence and I see no such quid pro quo operating in the universe. There is no way to avoid the pain of life or death. There is no way to ensure happiness by making a deal or following the rules.

And another problem that I see is that our religions tend to reduce spirituality to a team sport. It’s us against them: winner takes all. That all too familiar interpretation is that God favors those who are on the right team, in the right church, and ultimately punishes those who are not.

Religion is not a bad thing. It has many good things to offer. Religion provides structure, discipline, and stories. It gives us spiritual practices that help us remember who we are and help us remember who God is. It directs our vision beyond the shadow to the deep truth about existence and reminds us to have faith in the miracle that is life.

So what is God’s true promise regarding how we should live? What is the deep truth behind our religious faith? What is the promise behind the promise? Let me suggest this:

Every faith, every religion, every philosophy casts a shadow
In that shadow lies an image of Truth-
what life is really like
how life really works
An image of the truth is the truth, but not all
The truth cannot be captured
only expressed
in words and actions
in a million ordinary acts of
love,
sympathy, and
hope, courage, kindness,
and justice
Our faith, our religion, our philosophy finds culmination
when we turn to the light
from where all the shadows are born
And we give thanks to the source of light

Jesus pointed us to that light. Jesus showed us what that light looked like in a human life. He did not come to start a new religion, a correct religion to displace Judaism. He did not do this other than God (Allah) sent the prophet Muhammad to start another new and improved religion to displace Christianity. What is the use of having a new religion? Religion is not the answer. Religion only points us towards the Truth. Religion can remind us of the Truth. It can provide structure and discipline for our lives to help us remember that there is more to life than we often acknowledge. And the promise is that we can begin to see and recognize that “more.”

Jesus did not come to start Christianity and Christianity did not start as a new religion, although that transformation happened quickly. Jesus came to point out to us the promise behind the promise of religion: that God is and that all life (all people) are in God loved by God! And God is in us collectively and individually.

And that? What difference does this make? The difference is that this means that every time we meet, we meet God. When we love and respect each other, we are loving and worshiping God. But when we condemn each other, we are judging God. As long as we harbor bitterness or envy towards another human being, we are pouring poison on the God who lives in us. So he stops doing it right now! Find a way to let go of the baggage you’re carrying. It is hurting you and damaging the whole body of humanity. It is damaging the entire ecosystem of life.

So what can we do? There are three things to do. First, practice being more in the present because the present is the only place where God lives. Second, get to know yourself better by knowing others more deeply. Have one-on-one conversations with each other designed to open up the space for deep understanding and intimacy. Third, discover your vocation, what it is that you long to do in your life, what gives you life.

But while you do these three things, don’t think that they will make God love you. There is nothing you can do and nothing you need to do for that. The love of God is a fact. So trust to laugh, love, cry and open yourself to the risk and wonder of caring enough to make a difference in the world.

(Jack F Price © 2010)