Christianity

My first assignment in Christian Discipleship (a class I am taking this semester) was to attempt to describe Christianity and what it means to me. This is what I came up with, after having been awake for about 17 hours.

Describing Christianity is both very easy and very difficult. I say it’s simple because there are some key factors that are universal to the Church as a whole, while it becomes much more difficult when describing specific denominations and then going even further into personal theology.
If asked to describe Christianity at its most basic level, I would begin by saying that it is based on the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ as found in the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to this earth to build the kingdom of heaven. Through his crucifixion and resurrection those who accept him as their Savior shall have eternal life. Pretty simple; believe in Jesus, and you’re a Christian. Then things get a little tricky.
Divisions within the Church itself provide a plethora of material to be discussed when describing Christianity. First you can establish if you are a part of the Roman Catholic church, the Protestant churches, or of the Orthodox tradition. If Orthodox, are you Russian Orthodox? Greek Orthodox? If Protestant, which denomination? Is it a liturgical church setting, or congregational? Progressive or fundamentalist? Is the Bible taken literally, or contextually? Is there more focus on personal piety or social concerns? This is just a sampling of the many diversities between denominations alone. Now take into account that every congregation is unique, varying in size, worship style, average age of members, location, political makeup of the area….the list goes on and on. I could probably use all five hundred words listing the various contrasting styles and theologies of denominations- but that wasn’t the assignment.
For me, Christianity, what it means to be a Christian, has many components, all of which are important. First off, for me, Christianity is a way of life. While I understand that for many people sitting in a pew on Sunday and taking communion once a month is as deeply committed as they want to be, I think being a Christian is so much more. As Christians, we are called to live in a Christ-like way- to not only read, but to follow and live the lessons Christ shared with the people while here on earth. As I Christian, I try my best to practice “radical acceptance” of others, to be as non-judgmental as I can be, and to minister to those in both the immediate community and on a global level. A personal relationship with God is very important, but so are the relationships formed with a faith community. Service to others is crucial (in my opinion). We are called to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, heal the sick…we cannot do that by sitting on a pew. In worship services we are given the wonderful opportunity to teach, learn, stretch our minds and personal beliefs, and to equip ourselves with the tools to GO OUT and serve the world in a Christ-like manner.
Jesus was a radical teacher, and as his followers we should be the same. We should be enacting social change and building the kingdom here on earth in practical ways, educating others on what it means to be Christian, and focusing on the church of the future. For me, personally, Jesus is not “Mr. Roger’s in sandals”, he is not my boyfriend, I even have trouble saying he is the “lover of my soul” as some songs state. He is my teacher, leader, and Savior. A man that put down the system, rebuked the leaders of the time, and took care of those who had no voice. As his followers, we should do some of the same.**but, in a peaceful, non-violent manner, of course.