Artist: Max SlevogtI have shared with you before how much I respect and value the works of Frederick Buechner. I really appreciate this passage because the misconception is widespread that we must believe certain doctrines about Jesus rather than placing our faith in him, setting our hearts on him.Believing in him is not the same as believing things about him such as that he was born of a virgin and raised Lazarus from the dead. Instead, it is a matter of giving our hearts to him, of come hell or high water putting our money on him, the way a child believes in a mother or a father, the way a mother or a father believes in a child.
~~~
Yes, it is the dogma I struggle with. I'm always second-guessing myself on that level. "Do I believe this or that about him? If not, maybe I shouldn't bother!" Et cetera.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps I'm not the only one!
Thank you, Ellie. A friend once asked if I believed in the virgin birth. I said, "Maybe yes, maybe no, but that it is really beside the point." That rather shocked her. Buechner's writing on the subject explains it so much better than I ever could. I have forwarded this link to her.
ReplyDeleteThere is a guy at work who sometimes refers to me as a "believer" and it makes me slightly uncomfortable. I think he means he thinks I am the former (someone who thinks certain things about Jesus). But this has always seemed to me to be "not it". I wouldn't know if the Virgin Birth was true or not and agree with BooCat that it doesn't really seem to matter. How to explain this is another matter.
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer to think of my self as a latter day follower or disciple of Jesus, though not a "Latter Day Saint" in any sense of the word. The expression "I believe in Jesus or I believe Christ can so easily be interpreted to mean that I believe about Jesus or about Christ what someone else thinks is important.I actually prefer to think of my self as a latter day follower or disciple of Jesus, though not a "Latter Day Saint" in any sense of the word. Nor am I even a good follower or disciple.
ReplyDelete