What is Christianity about?

"So much of Christianity seemed to be about claiming sides, about making distinctions, about finding a set of beliefs to cling to that excluded other people or made them scapegoats for all the evil in the world."*

What is Christianity about?

Christ?  The one who was crucified for claiming that God directed his path, a path of forgiveness?

Love?  Even when it means inviting 'those people' to dinner and accepting them as friends?

Forgiveness?  Although accepting forgiveness requires that we have something that needs forgiving.

Compassion?  All the time?  For everyone?

Being faithful?  Keeping our eyes on God knowing we will stumble, fall, fail, and generally mess it up on a regular basis?  Knowing we will be walking in the dark most days trusting in God?

Worship?  Is worship a once a week occurrence or a lifestyle?

Generosity?  How much is 'generous'?  Are we talking time, talent or money?

Or, is it a set of rules that make us feel good and clearly identify who 'those people' are?

I know that faith in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, is a challenge on good days and nigh impossible on the bad days.  I know that the assurance of God's love, the very idea that I am called 'God's beloved' is powerful every day.  I know that without the witness of others, the communion meal and the richness of God's word, I would be shallow, lost and generally insufferable.

What are you thinking here?  Has it gotten easier or harder to live the life of faith? What story could you tell?


A quote from Sara Miles' book, "take this bread", page 161