About Love

I'm never the one to shy away from talking about my faith. Why? Because I'm in love. Yes. I'm in love with God. If it weren't for Him, I don't know where I would be today. This is why I want and like to speak about it. If you're in love, wouldn't you constantly mention that someone to people? You would, because you want people to know how much this person means to you and how much this person is involved in your life. And likewise, the same applies to having faith. 

While we can discuss how it is PC to say all religions are the same, I cannot bring myself to admit that. First of all, I went to seminary to become a pastor/preacher/evangelist. It would be rather irresponsible of me to nod and agree. 

Here's why I see my God as different to other gods. 

To me, God is my world. He is not this entity floating in the sky. He is someone who is with me, through me and in me. I know Him, as a person, as a friend. There is this close connection that cannot be described in human language. A sense of joy wraps me when I think about Him and His great love. 

There are so many questions people commonly ask: why did Jesus have to die? How could God kill his son? Why would God allow that? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Wasn't the body stolen? How could anyone who logics believe this is possible at all? 

Take the picture of Jesus on the cross for example. Some people may say, 'how great is God that Jesus had to die on the cross?' Others, like me, is moved and slightly broken inside when we see it, yet we proclaim it as one of the most beautiful things in life. Why such contrast? It's because we see differently. Those who say the first knows what they see in physical. The second group understands the meaning behind it, and they are reminded of the reason Jesus had to die and how He took the 'sins' of the world unto Himself as the one who dies on the tree is cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23). It is not to say the first was wrong to say what they said - they are right in asking so. But we, Christians, never talk about just the physical. After all, faith is a spiritual matter. 

We can use logic to figure everything out. Then, when God touches you, some things that didn't make sense become clearer while others remain mysteries. Either way, you don't care anymore. You don't care how it works because you're so in love. It really doesn't matter. (Yes, theology is important, that's why I spend time studying it. But it isn't everything. We still need to experience God daily.) 

I didn't grow up in a Christian home. Me coming to faith wasn't forced on me either. I willingly made my choice (after having tried other religions). Before knowing God, I wasn't the easiest person to talk to about Christianity. My argument was: every religion is the same. Trust me, I'm familiar with the questions. (Nowadays, I enjoy when people want to bring up the evolution debate - I would say 'from dust we came and to dust we shall return' rephrasing Ecclesiastes 3:20. Whichever way God created the world doesn't bother me - because it doesn't make God any less. He is still God. No amount of our discussions can change who He is.) Back then when I gave my life to Christ, I didn't have all the answers (and still now). Somehow my perception changed, something clicked. All because I met Him. Ever since, I haven't been able to stop being in love. (Having said that, it hasn't been a smooth journey. I do get angry at God sometimes. Then again, there's no one on this Earth anyone can claim to know inside out, not even our spouses or best friends. Somehow people in our lives can continue to surprise us and we keep on learning more about them as we spend time together. Likewise with God, the more time we spend time with Him, the more we learn about Him. Some days we get frustrated and some other days we go 'oh, yup' when everything falls in line. That's why it's called a relationship, and why we emphasise it so much.)

What about the Bible?

Bible is a collection of people of faith and their stories, how they heard from God or how they struggled to hear from and understand God. We see frustrations (David in Psalms), pain and grief (Job), joy through the Spirit (through Paul). The scripture shows us that no one is perfect and no one can get it right the first time round. The Bible is messy! It's meant to be!

So, what is Christianity about?

LOVE

It's not just about having good ethics, good virtues, good morals or doing the right things. Also, it's not about believing for self-gain either. In fact, it is rather selfless. It isn't about us, but about God, people and nature. We are called to be God's hands and feet, to allow God to work in and through us. We bring God to people. We allow them to experience the love, joy and peace that God wants them to experience. 

I fell in love, and hence I want to share this love. This is why I talk about my faith and why I chose to live missionally, to embody the message of love to those I come in contact with each day. 

Blessings and peace to you.