faith, hope, love

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"The thing I have to work on in myself is this issue of belief. Gandhi believed Jesus when He said to turn the other cheek. Gandhi brought down the British Empire, deeply injured the caste system, and changed the world. Mother Teresa believed Jesus when He said everybody was priceless, even the ugly ones, the smelly ones, and Mother Teresa changed the world by showing them that a human being can be selfless. Peter finally believed the gospel after he got yelled at by Paul. Peter and Paul changed the world by starting small churches in godless towns.

Eminem believes he is a better rapper than other rappers. Profound. Let's all follow Eminem."

Now obviously that last sentence was sarcasm. But I find this to be a penetrating and reflective statement. There are so many people that claim to love things or people (especially celebrities) without actually knowing their spiritual and moral credentials. You might think it's no big deal, but if you're passionate and adherent about what you believe, you may want to reevaluate your thoughts.

"But the trouble with deep belief is that it costs something. And there is something inside me, some selfish beast of a subtle thing that doesn't like the truth at all because it carries responsibility, and if I actually believe these things I have to do something about them. It is so, so cumbersome to believe anything. And it isn't cool. I mean it's cool in a Reality Bites, Welcome to Sarajevo, Amnesty International sense, but that is only as good as dreadlocks. Chicks dig it to a point, but you can't be all about it; you also have to want a big house and expensive clothes because in the end, our beliefs are about as enduring as seasonal fashion. In the end, we like Ethan Hawke [or Eminem or whomever] even though we don't know what he [or she] believes. Even our beliefs have become trend statements. We don't even believe things because we believe them anymore. We only believe things because they are cool things to believe."

"The problem with Christian belief--I mean real Christian belief, the belief that there is a God and a devil and a heaven and a hell--is that it is not a fashionable thing to believe."

So the point and challenge of this post, to you as well as myself:
1. Know what you believe
2. Do not compromise your beliefs
3. Follow through with your beliefs

"Your identity [and beliefs] must be based on something greater than what the world offers if you are to stand strong. [The world is ever changing. Christ is constant and everlasting.]"

The views and opinions of this post are inspired by Blue Like Jazz - Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. It's a phenomenal read; candid and fascinating remarks that challenge and pursue assurance of your introspective beliefs




Reference
Miller, Donald. Blue Like Jazz. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2003. 106-07. Print.