Finding Jesus

By Carol Harper

I’m not a Christian. I’m a believer in Jesus Christ.

If being a Christian means I agree with bigotry preached from the pulpit, then I am not a Christian. If being a Christian means I think I’m better than someone because I am saved, then I am not a Christian. If being a Christian means I have to revere a religious figurehead or hierarchal authority, then I am not a Christian. If being a Christian means that adhering to institution and tradition is more important than truth, mercy and love, then I’m not a Christian. If being a Christian means I can use, add to and interpret the Bible to justify and support anything I want it to, then I am not a Christian. If being a Christian means I just have to appear like I’m a Christian, then I’m not a Christian.

President Thomas S. Monson of the LDS (Mormon) church once announced that they were going to build five more temples. When I think about the millions of dollars it costs to build just one temple, I don’t think, “What a blessing the Mormon church is to the world!” Instead, I think, “Wow, that money could feed and clothe a lot of people, or build a lot of homes for the homeless, or help some of the jobless, or some hurting small businesses get back up on their feet again—or it could help the sick, disabled or elderly.” Instead, they build more temples that only card-carrying Mormons can enter, while the poor remain poor, the hungry remain hungry, the homeless remain homeless; the sick and dying are still sick and dying.

Why do Mormons claim that they’re the only true church? Why do Muslims call anyone who isn’t a Muslim an “infidel”? Why do Catholics revere the Pope? Why do Buddhists denounce life’s realities? Why do Hindus have so many gods to idolize or blame for everything that happens? Why do denominations of Christianity argue over marginal points of doctrine? Why do atheists ignore the obvious and scorn belief in anything? Why do so many people skew the truth and become more about their own selves?

Faith has been “religion-ized” to a point of such complexity that it has often been mistaken for religion itself. For example, you might hear, “The Jewish faith doesn’t allow you to eat pork.” A religion is defined by its beliefs and practices. I’m not saying that faith can’t be found somewhere in one’s personal life, but whereas so many churches, temples, mosques, even individual groups and cells, sites and blogs pop up every day, faith gets lost in the crowd and drowned out by the noise of religion, which relies upon both the individual and a collective in order to survive.

On the other hand, true faith stands alone. Jesus made it very simple for us to turn our eyes towards God—not by being pious, but by appealing to our innate faith. How? All He’s ever asked is for us to believe in Him. He wants our belief, cries out for it, desires it so much that He said He would even die for our belief in Him:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but to save the world through him.”

(John 3:16-, NIV)

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! Yet how easily are heads turned, minds distracted, hearts hardened, souls bought and sold. Today people aren’t really looking for Jesus anymore—instead, he’s become more of a joke, an apparition, the subject of condescension, part of a swear-word vocabulary. Some people want to find Jesus just to shut him up. How beguiling is the noise of the media and the masses that ironically still cry out, “Crucify him!” I also think about those who don’t necessarily have anything against Jesus, but have a whole lot against Christians who lost him somewhere along their own self-righteous ways, truths and lives.

But then I think about the shepherds and wise men that wanted to find Jesus so they could worship Him. I think about the Roman centurion who wanted to find Jesus to heal his servant, or the woman who wanted to find Jesus just to touch His robe and be healed. I think about the ruler Jairus, who wanted to find Jesus to heal his dying daughter. I think of how one leper out of ten wanted to find Jesus and thank him for healing him, or the Canaanite woman who wanted to find Jesus to heal her sick daughter. I think of the man blind from birth that wanted to find the One who made him see. I think of the man with palsy whose friends wanted to find Jesus to heal him, and were willing to bust through the roof of a house to do it.

No, religion hasn’t made the world a better place—but, by faith, Jesus sure could, if given the chance. Now, if we could only find Him! Two thousand years ago in Jerusalem, those who had lost faith to both religion and mythology became prideful, jealous and blind. They couldn’t see Jesus as the Savior of the world; they could only see him as competition, a troublemaker, a law-breaking blasphemer, deny his very existence, wash their hands of him, ignore him. Not too much has changed; belief in the Jesus is still too difficult a concept to grasp. Yet, it seems it’s easier to deny everything and believe nothing? Easier to believe in gods, idols and aliens? Easier to buy into religious dogma or others’ visions, philosophies and theories (even if completely or partially untrue)? Ignorance is bliss, what I don’t know can’t hurt me? Better to believe in something worth millions of dollars than in something that’s free?

Finding Jesus is too much trouble. Faith is too simple. Grace is too merciful. Hope is too unrealistic. Love is too much to ask.

The good news is that there are still those who are motivated by faith to find Jesus, and have actually found Him. All it’s ever taken is belief—one uncomplicated, pure, simple, faith-driven belief. People get saved, not because they become a Christian, or because they believe in fairytales, fiction, plausible arguments and debates, because they know and keep the Ten Commandments, or because they become a card-carrying member of a church or religion. No one has ever seen God, but because of a believer’s faith in Jesus Christ, it means the world still has the exciting 2000-year old chance to believe in God again—and apparently for many of us, for the very first time!

I used to go to those very temples that Mr. Monson had talked about, and had once believed so strongly, with all my heart, in the ceremonies and rituals I had performed there. When I left my religion, I grieved, “If this isn’t true, then nothing is.” It hurt so much, I nearly became an atheist; I didn’t want to believe in anything at all, including God. One thing, however, kept me going: my faith. I could be void of everything—friends, family, church, trust in anyone or anything—but even atheists must have faith that the sun will rise and set. Sure, it would take a while for trust to be restored, but faith was all I had. So it was faith that led me on my journey, and one wonderful day I found Jesus and believed. Hope returned, trust was restored, and because of His grace, a peace that surpasses all understanding has filled my life.

 "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not

 revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church

 and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; 

whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,

 and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

(Matthew 16: 13-19, NIV)

Even given Peter’s track record, faith wasn’t something that just he, out of all the apostles and disciples of Jesus, possessed (remember, he ended up denying Christ not once, not twice, but three times). However, the rock of professed belief continues to be the foundation of Jesus’ true and living church. This foundation was not for a temple built by human hands, nor for a religion conceived by a human mind. This plan of salvation cannot be bought with money, nor is it for sale. This firm foundation is laid by belief in Jesus Christ; He is the plan of salvation, His grace is sufficient, and His spirit dwells within the temple of every true believer who has simply asked, sought and found Him true to His Word.

Faith is the power that produces miracles, heals the sick, raises the dead, and opens blind eyes and deaf ears. Hope is the power that restores, refreshes and encourages the believer to endure in an unbelieving world. Love is the power that feeds the hungry, clothes and shelters the poor, helps the downtrodden, cares for the elderly and widowed. Now, as it was then, faith, hope and love are the keys held by all believers – the true “church” of Jesus Christ.

Innate faith has nothing to do with religion; all of us are reliant on a Power greater than our own weak and vulnerable selves. But when that Power loves us enough to come to this corner of the vast universe and make a Personal appearance, speak to the believer’s heart and save us, well—who on Earth do we think we are?

I don’t know about you, but…I’m a believer.

“Finding Jesus” Copyright © by Carol Harper. All rights reserved. For permission to publish, contact: carolrharper@gmail.com