BY PASTOR ZACH KINGERY, UNITED PARISH OF ALPENA, WESSINGTON SPRINGS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
“Kindness should be our religion.”
I sat across the table from a person who had a background in a variety of religious teachings and experiences and that was the philosophy they had decided made the most sense. They had nominally practiced and studied teachings about Jesus from Catholic and Protestant perspectives, they had skimmed information about Buddha, Hinduism, and New Age philosophies and the result of what they had learned, as well as the 60+ years of life they had lived, had them convinced that Jesus was a good teacher and that all religion is just a way of people attempting to do what is right and “kind.”
This week is Holy Week. I hope you take the time to look beyond the surface, dig deeper than the nominal, and truly reflect on your faith. If you are a believer in Jesus my best advice to you is to go all in. Seriously.
We live in a culture where baptism and confirmation is supposed to give us a ticket to heaven, regardless of the choices we make or the attitude of our heart. But when I look beyond the cultural teachings of shifting morality and “kindness” which makes us think the rural Midwest is full of good Christian people, what I so often find are those who have heard about Jesus but haven’t gotten to know Jesus. When questioned beyond Sunday School answers many often admit that some of the things we read in the Bible are good but most can be ignored, particularly anything about holiness, the supernatural, and even the resurrection. Why do I share this with you? It isn’t to insult rural people. I’m rural Midwest born and raised and continue to be in rural places and serve rural people by choice. I share this because your faith must go beyond a cultural belief, a philosophical belief, or a “well it’s just what my Grandma taught me so I guess I believe it” belief.
Don’t just learn about Jesus, get to know him. Dig into the Bible, study it with a faithful believer, ask a pastor tough questions, pray in the name of Jesus and when you get to know Jesus go out and share him with everyone around you.
This week we remember how Jesus went to the cross, that his blood was shed for your sins and mine, that he died and was raised to life for our sake so that we might live for him (2 Cor. 5:15). May we be a people of the empty tomb and share the good news of our Savior each day.
“And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still in condemnation for your sins… And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.” I Corinthians 15:17,19 NLT