This I believe

I am a NPR listener. Are you? Anyway, one of the best features is the This I Believe series. If you've never heard it, you should. Anyway, it inspired me to consider my own beliefs. I wrote this several months ago, but I figured it was a good kick-off to the faith portion of the blog.

My statement of faith & purpose

The following is my statement of my faith. As I grow, it has grown. You, the reader should know that this statement does not focus on salvation. In my journey I have learned to focus on something my father calls the “penultimate.” I am, right or wrong, focused on the sanctification of God’s creation. The following statements are both my inspiration and my conclusions. You may ask yourself why I choose to ignore the question of salvation. I have not. Instead, I am comfortable that the answer has already been given. Call it faith! But, I digress…

I believe in Jesus and in the redeeming power of his resurrection. Yet in a world of conflicting ideologies and polarizing diatribes, I fear that this simple phrase says little. For this reason, I have adopted the following concepts as my fundamental truths.

I believe in Justification by Grace through Faith. (Romans 5: 1-2) Through Christ’s sacrifice God has intervened on the world’s behalf against our infidelities, our hate, our fears, our wars, our poverty, our hunger, our gluttony. We are made whole even in the face of all these things. We are forgiven! My faith in this forgiveness empowers me to share grace with others.

I believe that all Law hinges on Grace. (Matt 22: 34-40) Christ said that we are to love God and our neighbor with all our heart. He also said that the law hinges on these two things. Some may argue that this is an over-simplification of the Ten Commandments. That is not the case. This is a test for all laws both from God and of humanity. A religious law that does not conform to this simple idea should not be followed. A human law that does not conform to this simple idea should be challenged.

I believe that Christians should seek a Just and Equitable Society. If we believe that we are saved and we believe that laws should stem from love for God and humanity, then I conclude that we have a fundamental responsibility to sanctify that which God holds most dear. God holds us most dear! As God’s creation, all of humanity is sacred. If that is so, then we are all equal under God. We are not, sadly, equal in our society. If a human law does not show love for our neighbor then it is not equitable. If a human law does not show compassion for our enemy then it is not just.

These principles are the ones that I strive to live by. They are the ones that I use to consider what I hear from the pulpit and what I see coming from our political leaders. Too often I see society creating rules to punish and segregate. I hear the name of Christ used to condemn or dismiss. My faith tells me to look for justice tempered with compassion. I remember Christ saying to love your enemy. (Matt 5:43-48) An eye for an eye is not justice; it is vengeance. This is not the way of Chris. Instead, Christ warns us that those who live by the sword die by it.

In these principles I find Christ and it is with him that my faith, my trust and my hope lies. This is what I believe.