September 2008 Archives

Is there such a thing as a saved Unitarian? I mean, can one not believe in the Trinity and be a follower of Jesus?

I just read - not for the first time - that among fundamental beliefs necessary to calling oneself a Christian is the teaching that God is trinitarian: One God existing in three coequal persons.

But I struggle with this. Everyone struggles with the Trinity, which is beyond difficult to understand completely, but I struggle with making it a requirement.

What have you done lately?

No, I'm not talking about getting the latest technotoy or buying a new car. Nothing like that.

What have you done lately that matters? What have you done that changes the world, helps others, and lives on after you?

Anything?

One of the saddest things I ever read was from the Greek philosopher Aristotle: "The masses choose the lives of grazing animals." Utter insignificance. Profoundly disheartening, and the most depressing part: "choose." People choose insignificance.

Twice in three days someone has asked me that same question. It's an important question, but one that is not asked often enough. It's not an easy question to answer. However, since I have some ideas about it, and since people have asked me, here's my answer.

But first, we need to rid ourselves of some common assumptions on the matter. For example, full pews do not necessarily mean a healthy, successful church. Nor do full bank accounts. Nor does the absence of conflict within the church.

"It was right here," he said. "Right on this spot."

Hank was telling me about a recent dream. We were walking on a gravel bank on the edge of a beautiful Ozark river.

"We were right on this bank, Jesus and me, when I picked up a stone and skipped it out over the water," he continued.

"After I threw it, Jesus stopped and looked at me, smiling. Actually, I thought it was a bit of a smirk, and it hurt my feelings just a little. He said, 'Let me show you something,' and he picked up a stone of his own and fired it out over the water. It skipped way on out there.

The passage in Exodus 3 and 4, a conversation between Moses and God, is fascinating. There is enough here to write several books, and indeed, many have been written. As I read this portion, at least three things jump out at me.

God has chosen us to represent him, to act like him, speak like him, learn to think like him, and be like him. We are called to be good, to reflect the character of our Jesus. As we do that in gratitude for his grace to us, we demonstrate his love through our lives, and we pass his gracious forgiveness--grace we experienced first--on to others who need to experience it next.

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