Day 18: My beliefs

Day 18: My beliefs

I’ve spent the last week in a bit of a dichotomy: watching “The Bible” miniseries, and listening to what’s new in pop music. The music is simply because I’m behind the times, and when I’m driving home, I need something that’s going to keep me away. The other day, my dial hit the Top-10 station for like, the first time in a year. Needless to say, it was kind of jaw-dropping. My usual radio station tends to play the grown-up versions (i.e., rap-free) of songs. To hear them virtually unedited was a bit of a shock.

“The Bible” miniseries starts with the disclaimer that they wanted to be true to “the Spirit” of the Word. I have to say, the casting is amazing (minus Hollyweird’s obsession with making Biblical characters have British accents-what gives, guys? Even #HotJesus, who was played by a Spanish actor, had a British accent! I don’t get it!) (And don’t rant about the #HotJesus tag. I didn’t come up with it—it was trending on Twitter during the initial broadcast. I have to say, the actor that played Jesus is way better looking than the Jesus in “Jesus of Nazareth.” Sorry—it’s not sacrilegious; it’s just the truth!). The actors communicated amazing love and compassion; they made you rethink how you read the Scriptures. It was a different perspective that I hadn’t looked at…could the disciples have been praying The Lord’s Prayer, when the Holy Spirit hit at Pentecost? Is it possible, that such a “simple” prayer brought on such a revolution?!?  That’s just ONE of the brain-melters I got from watching the series. Granted, I had to stop watching certain parts; I can’t watch The Passion of ANY story of Jesus. Can’t do it—too graphic, and it makes me ill, especially now that I’m a mother. I can’t handle it. The stoning of Stephen was pretty awful. The producers weren’t graphic for the sake of being graphic, for the most part—they were, however, very, VERY real, and it was something I’d never seen before in a Christian production.

While the radio plays songs glorifying a hyper-violent, hyper-sexual lifestyle, what I saw on television glorifies a life of humility and compassion…a life of true love, like we’re supposed to live. Not money, fame, or whoredom…just love…even love for those who choose the money, fame, and sex. It’s really, truly heartbreaking, how we miss the mark…how I miss the mark. So, I’ve spent this week reaffirming certain beliefs.

About a year ago, I was feeling really challenged in my beliefs, and basically blogged my version of my personal Apostle’s Creed. I just had to hear myself say the words, to dig in my heels and remember WHY I am on the road I’m on…to remember, after everything I’ve seen in our world, that God is still sovereign. That He still, and always will, loves…that He is NOT the One Who Changes.  No, that would be us, and we have to get it together. We have to focus on why He came, why He lives, and why He loves.

I believe we were created ex nihilo—out of nothing—by a loving Father Who made us in His indescribable image. I believe He made us with His own two hands—those same hands that were bloodied in the worst manner of death, as the Ultimate Sacrifice for our sins. Yes, I believe in sin—I believe in Heaven, I believe in Hell, and I believe that only God can decide who goes where. We’re told to call upon the Name of the Lord, and be saved. There’s the definition. I don’t think any of us can look at another human being and tell them that their lifestyle choices have condemned them.  I’m not going to make the decision to say, “Hey, you’re going to Hell!”  That’s up to God. When we try to judge, we’re playing God, and we’re sorely underqualified.

We are simply called to love.

I believe that God has mercy; I believe that He sent His Holy Spirit to draw us into Him, and to show us His love…I believe certain doctrinal issues are not worth talking about, and certainly aren’t worth arguing over (Speaking in Tongues? Preterist? Sprinkling? Calvinist? WHO CARES?!?). I also think that certain things in Scripture have been lost in translation, and I don’t think we’ll know everything that we’re talking about until we’re in Heaven. We have a lot of things that are lost in translation…a lot of humanistic influences on translations…and none of us speak ancient Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic all that well. So, I think we’re missing some stuff, or that we’ve misinterpreted stuff (5 Greek words for “love?” Seriously!?!”). 

The Christian Church has done so much damage by being a judgmental machine—we have broken our brothers and sisters, inside and out. No one knows that we have something they want, because we’ve covered it up with hatred and junk. How can our Light shine, when we are stifling Him with our own mindsets?!?

It’s time for Eustace to come out of his dragon suit (“Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” y’all!). It’s time to go through the painful process of ripping off the scales, and tearing out the junk; it’s time to go back to being a clean slate…to being soft-hearted and kind to one another. It’s time to put our own agendas aside, our church attendance goals, and our programs. It’s time not only for us to show people that we have something they want; it’s time for us to remember what that is, for ourselves.

We have Jesus.

We have a Savior, a refuge, a warm heart in the cold world. We have a strong tower to run into, we have a King Who is worthy of worship. We have a Bridegroom who is worthy of all of our love, of all of our praise…We have a Healer Who can cure every disease, Who can restore the most broken of hearts…

We have a Lover of our very soul…a righteous Lion of Judah, a Cornerstone to our crumbling hearts. We have a firm, steady, unchanging Foundation and Hope…we have Eternity.

We have Jesus,

And

He

Loves

Me.

That, simply put, is what I believe…