I get it, you like tolerance.
You like the whole “let’s be friends no matter who you are” perspective. You may call it acceptance, or perhaps open-minded. Perhaps you think it’s a perspective without a name; something personal to you that can’t be described in one word. You just want people loved and accepted without the unnecessary arguments about religion. Aren’t all religions pretty much the same anyways?
You say to yourself that people who believe there is only one way to heaven, to God, or to happiness are limited in their perspective. You desire that all people have an open mind.
I get you. I get what you’re saying.
Some people would be so arrogant as to put your views in a box. They might call it relativism or post-modernism. And that’s not fair. How can they use inadequate human language based on their own subjective views to delegate to you a role which they’ve predetermined you must fulfil. That’s not a role for you. You don’t have a name for your beliefs. Who gave them the right to judge?
And all this doesn’t matter to me.
What matters to me is that you believe in Jesus. It’s important that you call Jesus, from the inside of your heart of hearts, your Saviour and your Lord. I get that there’s a bunch of baggage tied to Christianity. I get that religion is obstructive, intolerant, and narrow. I generally agree with you on many of these issues. But they’re secondary issues. They don’t matter.
When Jesus is your Lord, it means that his life is primary over your iPhone, your school, and even your life. His life > your life. To say Jesus is your Lord is to say that you will try to be like him because he is the ultimate authority figure and leader of your life. Above parents even, above your perspective… even above the government. That’s letting God be God.
Jesus as saviour is Jesus as rescuer. He is the one who is the protagonist in the superman movie. And here’s the crazy part, you must accept that in the film of your life you are the one needing saving. It’s the imperfections you can’t get past; the desire for human approval, the trap of immediate gratification. That’s you. That’s me. That’s everyone. You’re stuck in the muck we all stumbled in and Jesus makes you unstuck. I want you to believe that.
We could go on and on arguing philosophical terms that we both don’t really understand, or we could just believe that Jesus is Lord and Saviour.
Belief is a funny thing. It’s not something you need to do as a modernist, a post-modernist, or a pre-Socratic. It’s something that’s existed through every wave of human philosophy.
Perhaps our beliefs do influence our philosophical views. But that’s mote. It’s secondary to Jesus. Everything is secondary to Jesus. Jesus transcends the temporary beliefs with eternal treasure… I’m just trying to share the wealth. Call on Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Live your life in light of that. That’s all I’m asking.
If you say yes. Then start living. If you say no, not now, or maybe later… can I ask you a simply question? Do you know why you’ve made that decision? Think about it. I think it’s a fair question to think about. I wouldn’t mind discussing it with you either. I promise the conversation won’t turn into a heated argument. You see I try to live me life with this perspective: Jesus is primary, everything else is secondary.
What do you say?
No Bull... from Noble. 