Month: February 2025

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Jesus (“Christ”???) [Post #116]

Well, since I’ve been saying how I like Jesus’s teachings and find living by them to be a good way to live a fulfilling, good life, I thought perhaps it would be a good time to explore who this person was, or who people thought he was. A big question, for sure, no?

So, Yeshua, to use his correct name according to scholars, who was he, or even, was he? For a few years or so in my life I was an atheist-agnostic. I had given up on believing so much of the fundamentalist, evangelical stuff after deep theological and historical study that I proclaimed myself to be an atheist. So, I delved into the atheist and agnostic views of life. I read books claiming that the man Jesus never actually existed. The evidence was that he was hardly even mentioned by historians of the ancient time. Interesting, but not very convincing to me. I think someone lived and did some amazing things to create such a movement that Christianity eventually became. Someone like the legend of Jesus existed, I decided. But what was the true story about this interesting man?

Well, you can study this subject forever and still have that basic question in your mind, just who was this person? So, in this short essay I will basically scan over this subject for an overview of the different perspectives on this question. You can decide where you stand, or, most likely, you have already made up your mind of who Jesus was. Are you a believer? A believer in what, exactly?

So, at the one end of the spectrum, there are some who believe that there never was a man Jesus. A few may take that position. Most people believe there was a wandering, preaching Jesus. Different views developed on who exactly he was. The gospel of John considers him as always existing from the beginning of time. “In the beginning was The Word… He was with God in the beginning.” That’s at the one extreme.

Different groups developed other views of when Jesus became God. Some say he was human but became Divine at his baptism by John the Baptist when the skies opened up. Some say he was never human, he was always Divine. Some say he was half human, half Divine. And on and on the different beliefs went. Some view him as a prophet or sage, a great teacher of spiritual things, but fully human.

So, I’ve been all over the map on this subject. I’ve spent a lot of time in theological study. It’s all interesting, but in the end, to me, I don’t really care how you handle this topic. My point is that this man they call Jesus in these old writings, scriptures had wonderful teachings and insights into the human life on this earth, in the many different cultures. I am more committed to his way of life, his teachings than to anyone else that I’ve studied over my life. The “Christ,” the “Messiah?” A sage, a great teacher? I say, that’s your call. As for the theology about being a sacrifice for our sins, a savior, well, that’s your call, also. That was not his teaching, really. That was the apostle Paul’s teaching. He really developed what became the religion we now call Christianity. You can believe that, also, if you choose.

My point is that you seriously consider and study the Jesus teaching and the stories of the life of this man. Consider what He taught. Consider how he lived. A sinless, perfect Son of God? Your decision how far to go down that line of thought and belief.

I live the Jesus life. I commit to the Jesus life. I recommend the Jesus life. I guess you could say I preach the Jesus life (well, except I really don’t preach, rather “recommend). Jesus the Christ? Ah, the mystery. The mystery of religion. The mystery of all religions. That is my fascination with all of this. The mystery of all life.

Wally

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It’s All Choices in the End [Post #115]

So, my previous blog ended with me saying it all comes down to life being about love and about choice. And I think that really is the way it is. Our choices throughout our life determine so much. We all have things happening to us from the day we are born. We all have what we call our good times and our bad times. If we are honest in looking at life and our world, we see that horrible things happen and exist. Oh, I know there are “spiritual” people that would disagree and say all is wonderful, there’s no such thing as evil in the world, that it’s all how you look at it. Been around those people, those groups. Don’t buy that line of thought and belief, though.

So, we’re born, and in those early years we really don’t have much control over the things in our lives. If we’re lucky, we are born into a good family. Good, loving, caring parents and family members is the ideal. Some people are fortunate to have that in early life and some are not. But as we come along in our childhood. we do have many choices to make every day. Little choices. How to feel, how to react to situations. Every day, choices to make.

Of course, as we grow and mature, we continue making choices all the time. And eventually we begin to make some big choices. Do we do this, do we do that? What do we get involved in? What interests do we give our attention to? Do we think for ourselves, or do we go along with the crowd, our culture, our society? Do we give in to all our urges, do we try “questionable” things (drugs, promiscuous sexual activities, crime, violence, etc.)? Every little (and big) choice takes us somewhere in our journey. We go down this path, we go down that path. And the consequences of all those choices take us somewhere. That somewhere is our life.

So, if you’ve read many of my blogs, you know that, overall, I’ve had and am having a good life. Hence, the title of my blog website ” On the Path; A Wonderful Life” And that is accurate. I have had a wonderful life. I’ve accomplished my dreams in so many ways. I’m satisfied how it has all turned out. And now I see how it was all a consequence of the many choices I have made all along the way. Millions of choices through the years since my birth.

Of course, not all of my choices were good. I made some bad choices and suffered the consequences, just as everyone does. But you know what? I self-corrected. I did not go off in the wrong direction for very long before I came to my senses and realized that this is not the way to go. I’m very thankful that I was guided to a better way before too long. Yes, I feel that I was guided. What does that mean? Is there a God? Is it watching over me and nudging me, some or all of the time? Deep questions, huh? I think so. A “higher self?” A god of a particular religion? Angels, spirits, energies?

I ended my previous blog talking about my knowing that there is a “something.” And that knowing all of life is about love. That there is good, and that there is bad, really bad in life. And there is choice, which is what this blog post is about. The choices that make up our life. So, at this point in my life, what do I have to say as I reflect on the subject of choice and love and living a good life?

I asked, “how will you live? How do you live?” And I suggested examining Jesus’ teachings. And the Kingdom of God. And I said it is within you (the Kingdom of God), if you choose. I didn’t mean that in a “preaching” way, as a “Bible thumper or fundamentalist, evangelical-type Christian way. More like in a philosophical, metaphysical, spiritual way.

As I’ve said, our life turns out to be a result of our choices as we live. I’m advocating that we think about our choices more consciously, more deliberately. And, yes, I’m advocating that we study and consider seriously Jesus’ teachings.

His teachings were all about a relationship with what he called God. We may have other terms we may use. As I’ve said, I often use the term “the something,” since I don’t want a rigid and closed definition and conception of “God.”

Jesus’ teachings work for me. Yes, there are other saints and prophets and sages and teachers, but I find Jesus’ teachings are great, life-altering if we let them be. I find that it is possible to experience the Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of. That was his message, as I see it, “don’t look here, don’t look there… the Kingdom is within you!” Open up to the spiritual dimension, I say, and experience “God,” “The Kingdom.” That’s how to live. And live love, with Jesus as your example. It works. It’s how I choose to live. Another good choice, as I see it.

Wally