The Miracle of Walking on the Earth.

Please do not call me a Christian.

Although the teachings of Jesus have shaped me into the person I am today, that opening statement might seem shocking for many of my friends.

From the writings of the New Testament to learning the noble qualities of my mentors, including my dear mother, I have learned how to love and how to forgive. I have also been moved from the wisdom of Jesus, who had such a close relation with God that he called him his father.

I believe in Jesus as a historical person. He may have been one of the most influential men in history. I believe in God, but my God may not be the same as yours.

I mention God often, but it does not relate to an entity who cares about me personally, forgives me of my sins, or who is preparing an eternal place of paradise that will be reserved after my death. My God is the exalting mystery and beauty of the universe itself, which arduously reveals itself to us one morsel at a time.

So it would be hypocritical of me to say I am a Christian. That word has far too many implications that you might get the wrong impression of myself. If I said I was Christian, you might assume I believe Jesus is the only son of God, that he was born from a virgin, that he rose from the dead, and he will return to judge us.

I do believe in miracles. The fact that I can see these letters as I type them is a miracle. That I can embrace a warm cup of coffee in my hand as I behold the sun rising in the morning is a miracle. That we can peer at a star on a deep night and realize that we are looking back in time is a miracle. One never has to struggle to see miracles.

That does not mean I believe Jesus walked on the sea, turned water into wine, or raised Lazarus from the dead. And, even if he did these things, would that prove he was a man whose divine mission was to come to earth as God incarnate, and suffer and die for our sins so that we may have the chance to live in paradise forever?

I don’t think God works that way.

In fact, for those who are anxiously awaiting a greater paradise than has been bestowed upon us, I ask you to savor the wonder of this very real moment of hugging someone you love or being kind to another. This moment will never come again.

We sometimes assume that when someone proclaims themselves as Christian, it means that they must be good persons. I find it more honorable to be judged for not what we believe, but for how we conduct our lives and how we interact with others.

Since I have been so immensely influenced from the life and ministry of Jesus, I would like to say I am Christian. However, because of the reasons I stated, that designation may mislead you.

If you don’t mind, perhaps I can simply say I am a follower of Jesus. To be his follower, it doesn’t matter what happened before he was born, how he was born, or what happened after he died. The real miracle of Jesus was not when he walked on the water, it was when he walked on the earth.

Filed under: Amazing Today, Life Adventures, Philosophy