What's the Difference?

If it is true that one doesn’t have to be Christian to go to heaven, why be Christian?  Being a Christian is hard!  More precisely, following Jesus is hard.  “Take up your cross and follow me” he said.  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Even more, “blessed are you when people persecute you.”  Not “if”.  CS Lewis wrote, “Everyone thinks forgiveness is great, until they have something to forgive.”  

For many of us today, being a Christian is fairly easy.  We love our neighbor, but, you know, take care of ourselves and our family, do what feels right.  Play golf on a Sunday morning.  Save as much as we can for retirement and for a nice, comfortable life.  Don’t worry too much about trying to change the world.  As Jesus said, “the poor will always be with us.”  

Besides, if I go to church, I might have to sit next to “them”.  Fill in the definition of “them” for yourself.  I admit, it is hard for me sometimes when I think too much about who some of my fellow parishioners support politically, and I imagine they might say the same about me.  

So why do it?  First of all, I follow Jesus because I am convinced this is all True.  God created the universe.  Jesus was born in a manger, lived a perfect, humble, loving life and then died on a cross and was resurrected so that I might be saved from my sin and have eternal life with him.  Exodus, the Flood, even Adam and Eve.  Peter and Paul and the apostles.  And that the End is coming, perhaps one day soon.  

Second, I am convinced that a life based on love and forgiveness is the best way to live, that I must not be judgmental of others because Jesus has forgiven me for so much.  

And third, I have experienced and continue to experience the life-changing power of the love of God, not because of any good I have done or will do but because he has called and I said yes.  I am as sure of these things as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow.  

Yes, following Jesus is often difficult.  But the strange part is, it is also easier.  I am learning how calling on his Holy Spirit helps me become more loving, patient and forgiving, and how growing in these attributes brings me the Peace of God more and more.  And even when life gets challenging, with sickness, pain, disappointment, temptation, I know (on some level) that following my desires, pleasing myself first, leads to more difficulty.  

Biblically, I believe I can make a case that someone on the “narrow path” will have blessings in the next life compared to those of us who do not know Jesus and compared to those who profess to know him but perhaps do not feed the hungry, visit those in prison, invite in a stranger (Matthew 25:31-46).  But regardless of that, the Peace of God that comes from trusting in God - even when we don’t understand what is happening - is better than understanding his plan and his Peace is better than we could possibly imagine.  Not only in the next life, but right now.