By Ernesto Tinajero
The measure of our faith in Jesus comes from a life led. All other measures are simple window dressings and distractions. How we live as we follow Jesus reveals the nature of Christianity. All of the talk of morality, of absolutes, of proper conduct and even of heaven and hell are meaningless without first acknowledging how we are to live. How to live is the reason for following Jesus.
Now, this may sound radical and as if I am rewriting the nature of faith, that somehow I am trying to save the faith from the modern and contemporary challenges or that I am trying to make some sort of special pleading for Christianity. Yet, I am of the firm conviction that the reason the church is declining in many former strongholds like Europe and America is we have forgotten to teach that the faith is primarily about the living of one’s life and all that entails. Far from being radical revisionist of the faith, I harken back to the words of Jesus. On night before he was betrayed, Jesus gathered his disciples around a common table and taught them the importance of his Gospel. In John chapters 13-17 he talks little about heaven or hell, or eternal punishment.
Rather, surrounded by the sweet smell of lamb he taught them about the nature of love. He washed their feet and told them that the world would know them by their love for one another and how they love each other as he loved them. Later, in St. Paul’s writing to the Galatians, and again in the nine fruits of Spirit, all of which involve a lived life. Further, St. Paul claimed that all knowledge without love is meaningless. Love, which only exists in the leading of a life, is the purpose of following Jesus.
I often wonder why Christians abandoned such faith for more political and moral concerns. Loving others, of course, is both the most important political action and highest ethical conduct, but it comes with a renouncing of power to control. We always have to fight our temptation to be little gods and control our environment. Yet, the more we fail to put love at the center of our faith and refuse to follow Jesus, the more we see the church decline. Only in love can we hope to follow Jesus and only love can we hope to live the life of faith. Jesus will always rise no matter what cross we nail him to, will be at mouth of the empty tomb, mouth gapping at true power of love. Only that is the question for us Christians.
