The Why, How, and When of Christianity
The guide to life and afterlife in three passages
Christians and Their
Bible
One of the most frustrating characteristics possessed by “Christians
and their Bible” is all of the rules, and theology, and crap that people spend
their entire lives arguing over trying to determine what God actually meant
here and there through texts and parables.
It truly is a self-destructive practice.
This isn't to ridicule theologians or pastors (used here
generically to cover all Christian church leaders) as we were made to learn and
to love – so certainly learning about love should be admired. Sometimes, however, I feel that leaders become too much of students and end up losing followers (or
potential followers) due to semantics.
Is arguing that the world is 6,000 years old vs. 4.5 billion years old
worth losing a soul? How about stressing
out over what type of fabric we’re allowed to wear, or meat we are allowed to
eat on Fridays? Or is it just Fridays
during Lent? Or is it only Good Friday?
I guess I’m just not one for rules.
I've always had a heart for cynics and non-believers. Shoot, Jesus was the greatest cynic of all
time! Because of this, I would have deep
conversations with friends who were agnostic, or atheist, or simply didn't care
but knew they didn't like “the Church.”
I would listen intently, trying to see their points and, hopefully,
become right myself. I used to be
accused with “you just have to be right” and the truth is that I just really
wanted to be right; eventually. So yes,
I have to be right; but I’m willing to change my position in order to get
there.
I bring this up because I don’t think anyone alive today has
it all right. I do think, however, that
everyone alive today has something right.
So I don’t think I’ll ever figure everything out while still alive, but
I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out the three most important passages of the
Bible. I’ll let the theologians argue
over the semantics before, in between, and after these passages.
To give you a preliminary summary of this article I’ll
provide the following challenge: love, love now.
The Three Most
Important Bible Passages
I remember in English class, perhaps in 7th grade,
when we were tasked to write a fictional story.
The teacher pressed upon us one easy guideline for this activity and all
stories in our future: determine the who, what, where, when, why, and how and
you will have your story.
First book ever printed, and most copies ever sold/given, I’m
pretty sure God is a good story teller; both nonfiction and fiction (what do
you think most parables are?).
The Why: John 3:16
Alright, surprise surprise!
The most widely circulated and referenced verse from the Bible is,
admittedly, not the most shocking addition to this article. But there’s a reason it’s referenced so much:
because it may be the most important verse in the entire Bible. As you’ll learn, of course, I think there’s
one more important – but we’ll get to that shortly.
This one is pretty up front so I’ll just take a moment here.
John 3:16 – For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
This one sentence describes the Why of Christianity:
- Why did God send His Son?
- Why do we follow Jesus?
- Why did He die for us?
The How: Matthew
22:36-40
Where the Why is a
philosophical quandary of purpose, the How
is an actionable item to put into practice.
Theologians and pastors are students of the Bible (obviously
these terms can apply to other religions but let’s stay within the one for
now). Jesus did the same thing. The spiritual (and, in many cases, political)
leaders while Jesus walked the earth were categorized in two separate, but
similar, groups called the Sadducees and the Pharisees. These guys would judge people and make rules
based on the laws found in scripture.
They were also just kind of pompous a-holes.
Anyway, Jesus, claiming to be Son of God and all, was
stirring things up a bit and these two groups were feeling threatened by His
rise in popularity. So they would often
challenge Jesus in His religious practice and knowledge of scripture. Here’s an exchange between Him and them. For some context, Jews believed that there
was no “one greatest commandment” and were trying to trick Jesus into saying
one so they could prove Him wrong once and for all. A-holes.
Matthew 22:36-40 – “Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ This
is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments.”
How are we supposed to act?
How do we follow Jesus?
The answer: Love.
The When: Luke 23:42-43
So now we know Why
and How, but what does it lead to?
This next verse is my favorite verse to share with people
asking about this Jesus guy and what He’s about. It reminds me of a story from my past.
While I was in college I worked at a hotel with many other
people around my age. A few of them were
LDS (Mormons) and we became close friends for that period. We would have many deep discussions about the
similarities and differences of my beliefs and theirs. It was a mentally stimulating relationship I
had with these friends.
One of them, probably the one I related to the least, was
mesmerized with the fact that I wasn’t interested in joining LDS. Finally I asked her why it was so important
to her; after all, I believed that we would have similar afterlives since we
both followed Jesus. I mean, I would
never stress over converting a Catholic to Protestant. She answered with “But Joey, you are
abstinent, you don’t drink, you don’t do drugs, you’re kind to people. Don’t you think that you deserve something
better than a murderer on his deathbed who is saved just before dying?”
I thought about it for the first time in my life; and then I
answered “I don’t believe I deserve Heaven to begin with; that was the whole
point of Jesus.”
My biblical knowledge wasn’t all that strong at the time
(full disclosure, it still isn’t) but I think that was a perfect answer. I’m not “good” because I get a better life or
afterlife. I don’t believe that He
promised us such absurdities. I’m “good”
because I believe God wants me to be “good” – and that’s enough reason.
Jesus was crucified between two convicted criminals (likely
thieves). This is the interaction of Him
with one of them:
Luke 23:42-43 – Then
he said “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him “Truly I tell you, today
you will be with me in paradise.”
This thief didn’t follow Jesus one day of his life. He asked for mercy while hanging on a cross
(his deathbed) and Jesus replied with grace instantly. I believe this is the most important passage
of the Bible. The criminal is you, and
me, and everyone else in the world. We
have done bad things but we are forgiven.
There is no deed which can get you into Heaven; but there is
no deed which can keep you from grace.
When can you join Him in paradise?
The answer: Now.
So that’s it: the How, Why, and When of Christianity in
three passages.
Love, love now.
