The Light through whom we see right

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C.S. Lewis

Lewis' quote is interesting and helpful to understand something crucial about life and its mind-boggling questions. Though I'd rather use 'Christ' instead of 'Christianity,' I like the quote for it expresses truth in an illustrative way.

I believe in Jesus Christ, yet I am critical of parts of Christendom's deeds throughout the centuries. The Church has certainly failed in many ways, yet people, not God, are to be blamed (more about that in another blog-post). Fact is, Christ is not always represented correctly by Christianity, yet still, HE is - or should be - the centre thereof. It is to Him we must look in order to understand what Christianity is - or should be - all about! We need to do this just as we look to the music band we're going to see in concert rather than its fans - some we may like, others seem rather freaky, but we don't judge the band by its fans, right? (that's certainly understandable to those of us who have been to concerts of The Cure - which used to be one of my top bands, by the way). Despite the many short-comings of the Church, Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12), and through Him we see all things accurately and in truth - that is a point - and a very important one - C.S. Lewis is making.

I have long struggled to find answers to tormenting questions of life - why the suffering; why the injustice; why the racism - why, why, why...?! (further blogs will deal with such questions) Well, only by a realization of who Christ is and what He can do, I became one of the millions of people who found peace of heart and lasting hope. I do no longer consume drugs to try to deal with my frustration over what is ugly and evil in this world (it never worked anyway), even though I am still upset about a lot of things. I do no longer sit around in depression, powerless to do what I wished to do - no longer a rebel without clue... The big difference is - and this is important - I have found some real solutions to the world's pressing issues, that is, how to handle this situation and do something about it, however small it may appear. It is, of course, not as easy as it may sound here, but certain things are clear: we live in an imperfect world because humans are imperfect, and even good deeds are not perfect. It is here where I started to understand the real issue - unless humans can be changed in heart - and hence in deed - there is no real change at all. And that's were faith in God has great effect! And, at the same time, we're still imperfect even if God can improve our lives tremendously.

As the sun can been seen, so Christ can be experienced - if a person has done so, one can say with Lewis, 'I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it...' - and also the rest of the saying - 'but because by it I see everything else.' It is at this point where we start to see ourselves and the world with different eyes, from a new perspective. Christ transforms a life, and new ways of looking at ourselves and the world around us emerge through that wonderful change. No longer are people alienated or strange; no longer do we despise ourselves or others. Christ gives people hope, peace, and love, as well as power to do good. It is the crucial and most fundamental change a person can undergo; without it nothing can be really changed: that change is one from selfishness to selflessness - genuine selflessness.

Genuine selflessness does not seek glory or honour from humans for one's good deeds; it does it for the sake of people, and - for the Christian - to glorify God who is the true source of goodness. Doesn't it feel fake, if a rich person donates a lot of money only to get his or her name into the news or in order to deduce money from taxes? Jesus said that He does not seek honour from people, and that His followers should do good works so that people may glorify God (see John 5:41; 15:8; Matthew 5:16). We had enough of these self-serving autobiographies through which politicians excuse their failures or seek to blame others just to place themselves into a better light (isn't it interesting how conscience works stronger when people get old?). Humans fail, human organizations fail - just think of the genocide in Rwanda or ex-Yugoslavia. And yes, the Church has failed, too! But then, my point is that we look to God Himself, and test our own hearts and deeds to see whether we are actually doing the right thing with the right motives the right way. It is here where our criticism should start; it is here where real change can - and must - occur.

Through faith in Christ one can get to know reality as it really is, just as the sunlight provides the necessary means of seeing the world and its beauty. People ask, How can there be a loving God if there is so much suffering in the world? Well, one short response is, How can there not be a loving God if there is so much beauty in the world? We better first criticize humans for their ugly deeds before we seek to divert blame on God. A professor in political science rightly said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Isn't it easy just to blame someone else, especially God, without taking responsibility ourselves? Well, that is saddling the horse from the wrong side - it's the wrong way to go about in seeking genuine answers for troubling questions, and certainly the wrong way to solve the mess the world is in. We have to acknowledge a certain wrong before we can change it; denial is wrong.

I like what Madeleine L'Engle wrote:

Many atheists deny God because they care so passionately about a caring and personal God and the world around them is inconsistent with a God of love, they feel, and so they say, 'There is no God.'

This is so true, and I not only understand this state of mind, but can compassionately understand it - I was there myself! A key difference is that I somehow always believed in God, though I did not have a conscious faith in and personal relationship with Him until the age of 21. Honest people have honest questions, and sometimes feel so upset about things they care for that they end up concluding 'There is no God.' Yet concluding so is to cut off the very Source who can actually empower people to change things - there are thousands of people with faith in God who experience that and live it out daily (however imperfect it may sometimes be). A skeptic and always-negative critic can never make things better - we have to look to the good things while we're still honestly concerned about the bad stuff! I know that evil prevails despite the many good deeds of people - not just when good men are passive - but still, we must continue a struggle for the good of the suffering despite the many set-backs and difficulties. Great people who have changed things in this world have always struggled through many difficulties and their case seemed hopeless at first - just think of Martin Luther King's struggle!

Dear Reader, things are not as hopeless as they may appear - there is still hope and power, and that hope and power are found in God, the Father of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is the Light of the World through whom we see light, truth, and beauty, through who we can gain love, hope, and perseverance, and by whom we can know salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Perhaps we should spend less time blaming God and others, and look to God in prayer instead, before allowing Him to change us to become His instrument for lasting change. Fact is, humans do bad things with their God-given freedom; egoism is at the very root of all problems - it can only be dealt with by a change of heart. There is hope, and it is found in Jesus, the Light through whom we see right.