11/19/22

Sometimes I find myself confronted with a lot of uncertainty and despair. Uncertainty whether life has any meaning or purpose. Despair at the seemingly unnecessary and pervasive privation and suffering we visit upon one another. Etc. And in those times, I tend to turn towards things that inspire and uplift me, such as philosophy and religion. Many people find religion unnecessary. Nevertheless, I find within it "the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions." This is especially true of Christianity, which I once dismissed outrightly. But I was surprised upon meeting Jesus for the first time in the Gospel of Matthew, realizing that I had it all wrong. What I really appreciate about Jesus is the way he bridges the gap between the material and the immaterial in trying to bring the kin-dom of God into the here and now. Jesus represents for me the tangible effects of the presence of God in the world and our hearts. The whole focus of the New Testament is the story of Jesus and his way of salvation. This way is characterized by an adherence to nonviolence, peace, and love of others. By tending to the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and welcoming the stranger, who's still our neighbour. By forgiveness, reconciliation, and restorative justice. By a preferential option for the poor and marginalized and a more equitable redistribution of wealth. By a God who riots against injustice, greed, hypocrisy, and unequal social relations. By moments of quiet contemplation. By a call to action, to go out and recreate our world into something better. By a historical progression towards renewal and rebirth. By eschewing politics of purity and dogmatic theology and centering the essence of the unknown, which is love, in our daily lives and interactions. And whenever I'm lost in the dark wilderness of my uncertainty and despair, I always have the light of his teachings and example to help guide the way.