The Measure of Our Faith Must be the Measure of Our Lives

What would the world be like, at the most personal level, that is, our own inner world, and the world of our families, or for that matter, on the larger scale of the world; our neighborhoods, our society, and our country, if we all really and truly lived as if we believed that Jesus Christ is, in fact, The Way, The Truth, and The Life? If we truly saw others with the eyes of Jesus, would our all too often screechy, self-absorbed egoes be finally silenced? Might we suddenly be freed from the blindness of our prejudices, our fears of others, and begin to see as Jesus sees, as if for the first time, that there is only “us” and never “them”; that there is an indefinable something that binds us together, the kinship of our souls, each of which is made in the image and likeness of God?

John tells us in his Gospel: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn 3:17). Is there sufficient evidence in the world today that reveals that, we who call ourselves Christians, really know that, believe it, and live it out openly in our daily lives? If not, then, does that not argue that we are at a troubling, perilous, and very important crossroads in our own faith lives as Christians? Does not the world need to see a clear image of Jesus, who revealed to us that he is The Way, The Truth, and The Life? This is only possible when the world begins to see it in and through the way we live OUR daily lives? In truth, Jesus’ way, truth and life, are the only way that will truly heal our own lives, and our world from all its destructive divisions, of all of its lies, and of all its obsessive submission to the ego-driven demands of the demonic culture of death?

Our faith in God should open us up to otherness. “Othering” or “theming” only makes enemies, never friends. We can only love God with our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole soul, and our whole strength, and our neighbors as ourselves, by escaping our egoes. But our culture and the world keeps us focused on ourselves with a demonic seriousness. It distorts our sense of freedom. We blindly accept its appeals and, instead of becoming free, we become willing slaves to this or that man-made doctrine or ideology, to money, and all manner of things. We lose the wisdom of what seems a paradox, that our willing submission to God is the only truth that will really set us free: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” (Jn 8:32).

Yes, Jesus, the Son of God, came to redeem the world, not to condemn it. And he has commissioned us to be his instruments of his peace, his justice, his mercy, and his love in the world. He, in truth, has given us the way to do this, by his own example and words. He has shown us what life can be like if we follow him. We find the way, the truth and the life in the Gospels, through a lifetime habit of prayer, both on our knees and on our feet. We are to see and to treat one another through the eyes and the wisdom of his life on earth. We are to see our own brokenness is different only in kind from that of all others. In this recognition we are called to be compassionate, merciful, and forgiving, just as the Father is so. And the Father’s way, truth. and life was revealed to us in Jesus. And Jesus commanded us to “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34).

The Gospel is more than mere words, it is the compilation of the mind and ways of God, who John tells us is Love itself. (1 Jn 4:8). It is God’s challenge to us to willingly and actively choose to be one with him in all things. We are challenged every day of our lives to grow in our faith. This faith in God that we claim to believe with all of our heart, soul, and strength, is what our world needs most, here and now. It is the only thing that can save the world.

We must daily ask ourselves, do we really have the wisdom of our Christian faith to recognize that, though we are in the world, we are not meant to be of it? God’s desire is to redeem the world through the example of our daily lives. Given the condition of our world, can we honestly say that we Christians are honoring our call to discipleship by modeling it openly in our daily lives? He has given us the means to be his healing instruments in this world. But, in all honesty, do our daily lives show the world that we really believe?

It is never too late to begin living His way, His truth, and His life, not our own too often self-determined ways, truths, and lives. His grace is always generous, immediate, and powerful. Let us turn our eyes toward God and live our God-given faith openly, again and again. The force of God’s love and grace is the only means through which our world can be redeemed. “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” (Mk 9:24). Amen.