often times we reduce religion down to its people, its rules, its failings. we debate, and argue, and fight wars in the name of religious purposes. we forget that religion itself carries with it only what man has created.christianity in pop culture has become something that christians don't even want to identify themselves with anymore. what once stood by faith alone has become so twisted, so intellectualized, so tainted with the sins of man that most people look down upon believers, and believers themselves doubt and hide themselves in the shadows. having faith now translates to "being religious" which carries with it such a negative connotation that it leaves us with a bitter taste in our mouths.
it is quite a shame because believing the gospel of Christ is quite the opposite of what pop culture has to say about it. the christian faith, stripped of all its embellishments is a rather simple love story. even after man failed Him again and again and again, God still hasn't given up on us. and what's more is that He has sent His only son to die in our place so that we may be rescued. you and i. and there's no catch. no need to do a million good deeds to earn this love. no need to pay Him back. it's completely unconditional love, completely free. being Christian isn't about following a set of rules outlined in the bible, or going to church x times a year, or even volunteering at homeless shelters in order to obtain a ticket to heaven. it's about saying yes to a relationship, one that fills you to the brim with life and love, and respecting and honoring the one you love.
i know everything i'm saying seems pretty obvious to those of us who have grown up hearing this in church, youth group, or bible study. but i also think that we often lose ourselves in "being christian" to actually be Christian. we see Him as a nagging conscience or an obligation that we must fulfill, not for the lover we choose to love back. every time i hear, talk, or read about Christ, i have a overwhelming feeling of raw emotion rise within me. a sense of awe, a sense of complete humility, a sense of longing for Him to fix me. for those of you do not yet believe, i know how you feel. it all seems too vague, a little too good to be true, and somewhat hypocritical to the image of Christ circulating in the world today (and i want to apologize for all the "christians" you have encountered who did not represent Him in his true light). i don't think i've ever truly understood the message of Christ until recently. i've heard it, but there were always too many philosophical, logistic questions in the way about suffering and hell and whatever else. now it's finally resonating within me and the answers to those question are slowly becoming clearer. to believe, you need not to be "convinced." just listen and He will provide you more than you should ever desire.
john 3:16
(wow, rob bell really inspired me to write more than i ever thought i would)
