Although I am currently questioning my religious beliefs and searching for the truth, I do not believe that I could ever truly deny the existence of God. I was brought up strictly Christian- taking the teaching of Jesus both literal and figurative to heart. While I no longer feel the need to place a "name over the door" and identify what "type" of Christian I am; I am simply a Christian. I follow the teachings of Christ. Reading over the New Testament selections in the anthology brought back memories of Sunday School lessons and sermons that I have heard time and time again. The theme of the selections in the anthology seemed to be "God is love." (1 John 4:8)
God is love is the centerpiece of Christianity. Christianity is different from religion. Religion (as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary) is man worshiping a deity or god-- more simply, man reaching for something outside of himself to worship. Christianity is God reaching out to man. There is a fundamental difference. Because "God so loved the world he sent his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (St. John 3:16) To be a true Christian (or to be Christ-like) one must become love.
Becoming more like Christ is the center of the teachings of both Jesus and of the Apostles after Jesus ascends into Heaven. To live a holy life devoid of sin (because sin separates us from the love of Christ) and to love your neighbor as yourself-- "the greatest of all commandments." (St. John 15:12) There are many examples of these teachings. The story of the Rich Young Ruler who asks Jesus what he must do to be saved. Jesus tells him to follow the commandments. When the young ruler answers that he has "kept all these from my youth up," Jesus tells him to "sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." (St. Luke 18:15-25). The rich young ruler is "sorrowful" at this statement. He cannot think of his neighbor before himself. The most important commandment of all is the hardest to follow. It demands that we give up our selfish nature and care more for the person beside us than for our own self or our own happiness.
This commandment seems simple enough when we think of our neighbors as those around us: our family, friends, significant others. But this commandment stretches beyond that. "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you…" In this passage Jesus states that your love must be unconditional to everyone around you; Even the "sinners also love those that love them." To be truly Christ-like, we must love those all around us. (St. Luke 6: 27-38)
As I continued through the reading, a new point of view opened up to me on the last supper. Jesus omits the customary lamb from the menu. The writer of this paper, Stephen H. Webb, proposes that
God takes the place of the sacrificial lamb that is usually present. Because God is love and came to save us from our barbaric and sinful ways, why would he continue the suffering of animals? In the Garden of Eden animals and humans lived peacefully side by side. Animals were given the vegetation to eat and humans the fruits of the trees and vine. Man's disobedience and sin removed him from this peaceful environment and forced him to take the lives of animals for clothing and food. God's return to earth and eventual sacrifice of His own body makes it possible for man to come to God once more without sin-- bringing back the time of peace and turning away from suffering of both humans and animals. Revelations describes a heaven where the "lion and the lamb lay down together" in peace. (Revelations 5)
This view-point takes the idea of "God is love" to a whole new level. It demands of the Christian to extend Christ's unconditional love not only to your human neighbor but to you animal neighbor as well. This is a new concept within the realm of Christianity and one that makes me think deeply about my beliefs on vegetarianism and animal rights.
