An incomplete understanding of faith is turning out to be more detrimental to society than no faith.
Jesus Christ, is called both Son of God and Son of Man, and He is. His shoulders were strong and muscular -not from going to the gym, but from the hard graft of daily work. We often think of the physical pain he endured on His way to Calvary and crucifixion. His soul searing anguish was greater. We often spout platitudes such as God is love - but Jesus was the wellspring of that love. Like the vine branches that groweth when attached to the vine, like the electrical appliances that work when plugged into the mains, so too are we attached to the greatest wellspring of love in Christ.
What did Christ say of the vine branches that does not bear fruit?
We dogooder Christians know what the word says. But what is the good fruit He expects of us? Just like the electrical appliances plugged into the mains, if we are plugged in properly to this eternal wellspring of love we will be transformed into little wellsprings of our own---wellsprings of love, wellsprings of unselfish love.
As Christ says what use is it if we do good to those who does good to us ? We are all good Christians, working hard for the betterment of our particular denomination or church, engaged in all social and religious activities, living 'holy' lives largely engrossed in selfishness. I know that saying this will not make me popular or get me many readers. But I beg you dear brothers and sisters, to take one moment to step back and think. Is there anything that we do that is not out of selfishness? We study, work, build, create, and give for our family--sometimes even sacrificing our lives and wellbeing in that process. Ourselves, our husbands/wives, children, parents, siblings etc are our dearest and raison d'être - the reason for our existence. Next comes our church, sect/denomination, cultural identity, and so on. We often believe that by serving all these other interests in our life that we are serving God? Is it so? Does God need such service from us? Then there are the better among us who even give charity and do charitable social work.
There IS good in all of these --no doubt. A lot of good and love like this has helped oil the mechanics of life to this day and age.
BUT it is good to also think if any of this will hold good either in this life or on the day of reckoning.
Jesus did not come to make a nation of do-gooders, he did not come to increase our material wealth and help us save for our retirement --He said that His Father in heaven knows to provide for His children and He asked us to become children of God. He asked us to plug into Him, with good sturdy wires and become charged and empowered to become as a son or daughter of God. HE called for total transformation. A transformation that changes and charges our internals, where we begin to look outward with the eyes of God and not with the eyes of man.
If you are still reading this, please take a moment to close your eyes and to look around your home and society with the eyes of God. What do you see? When you look are you overwhelmed with love? When you look does it bring a love drenched smile to your face? When you look, can you see the laughter as well as the pain of the society around you? Can you see the individual people around you - the winners, the losers, the drug addicts, the homeless, the beautiful, the ugly, the smart and the not so smart? Can you see them through the filter of Gods love flowing through you? Are you overcome with love and compassion and does this love equal or exceed the love you have for your spouse, children and parents?
If you do, then you are truly a child of God.
If you cant come anywhere close, then that is the measure of the Christian you are - not your faith, not your works, not your acts, not your ancestral heritage.
THERE IS NO OTHER MEASURE THAN LOVE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS WITHIN YOU WHEN YOU LOVE AS GOD DOES
This is what the Christ meant when he said -- leave your family and follow me.
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