Faith in Transition

“The Christian life — ​and especially the contemplative life — ​is a continual discovery of Christ in new and unexpected places.” -Thomas Merton


With over a year into Trump’s presidency and three months into my own search for a new church home, this is what I believe:

I believe in God. A personal being. Someone who can be known and understood by what God created.

I respect the Bible greatly, but I don’t feel it contains all of who God is. There is more of God to know and experience outside of the Bible, or any book for that matter. Spiritual growth isn’t dependent upon a book, it’s dependent upon relationship.

The Bible contains many good things about God. And it’s helpful in understanding who God is. But I don’t feel the pressure to believe that it is one hundred percent literal. The Bible is full of beautiful, thought-provoking allegories and metaphors that lose their power to explain abstract meanings if we always take scripture at face value.

For example, Jesus said to Nichodemus (who was a Pharisee) that "unless one is born again, a person cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3). Nichodemus, who as a Pharisee, was prone to interpret spiritual things literally. So he had a hard time understanding how a human could be born twice. Jesus explains: "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Some faith-streams take Jesus' remarkable statement literally, viewing baptism only as a requirement. A stamp on our spiritual passport so to speak. But maybe the point isn't the passport, it's the journey? What if Jesus was speaking metaphorically? That is, what if he were using water as a metaphor for a cleansing or washing away of an old way of thinking? And what if the Spirit signified spiritual renewal? So, in combination, the water and the Spirit became a bridge from literal (linear) thinking into a different spiritual dimension altogether? 

I believe that one of the main points Jesus made is that God pays more attention to our heart than to what religion we follow. In other words, true religion (just like the prophet Micah says) is bound up in doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. Not in adhering to a particular dogma.

I believe that humility is very important to God. In fact, I see humility as one of the cornerstones of a relationship with God. Trust requires humility. I struggle with trust when I’m trying to control a situation or an outcome. Believing that I or my particular brand of faith have the answers to all of life's challenges is the exact opposite of walking humbly with God. Similarly, the more insecure I am in my belief the most insistent I’ll be that everyone should believe and behave exactly as I do.

I believe that my own particular religion is not the only pathway to God.

Fundamentalism doesn’t make sense to me if you consider the diversity of God’s creation and the diversity of the human race. There are thousands of languages and people groups across the world. There are thousands of cultures on the earth. This would make it impossible for humans to agree on a single way to reach God this side of heaven. We would need divine intervention (the second coming?) to achieve agreement on a single, universal faith. 

It doesn’t make sense that God would condemn anyone to hell simply because they couldn’t muster up the faith to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. We aren’t smart enough to fully comprehend eternity, let alone God. People who condemn others who don’t share their faith vision may actually be committing the sin of pride.

You can’t trust someone that you don’t love. How can you freely love someone who has the potential to condemn you to eternal hell; especially considering humans are unable to fully comprehend eternity? The human race is notoriously short-sighted.

Curiously, I’m finding that during this time of transitioning to a new church home, I’m becoming increasingly grateful.

I’m grateful for the grace from God to have found the Saturday night gathering I’ve been attending since November, 2017.

I’m grateful for the assistant pastor who runs it and for the people who regularly attend.

I’m grateful for the welcome I’ve received there.

I’m grateful for the neighborhood church I’ve been attending on Sundays for fostering a truly welcoming atmosphere.

Most of all I am grateful to God for continuing to protect, guide and speak to me through others.

Photo Credits: top - lifehopeandtruth.com, middle - shekclifestylecom, bottom - hallelujah.co.ke