Real Christianity
September 17, 2021
I teach a class at NWOSU called Philosophy in Life. In it, we talk about several of the early Western philosophers, including an Irish philosopher named George Berkeley, who coined the famous philosophical phrase, esse est percipi (aut percipere), or “to be is to be perceived.” It reminds me of the question regarding the tree falling in the woods and whether or not it makes a sound. I imagine Berkeley would argue it didn’t. After all, if it cannot be perceived, then it doesn’t exist. So, how does this apply to Christianity?
Well, in my experience, Christians often exists only in their minds. What I mean by that is sometimes we become so concerned with what we think or what we believe about certain things such as the Bible, politics, sin and, perhaps most of all, what other people should or should not be doing. So concerned, in fact, that our own faith exists only in our minds. We’re not doing anything that suggests we’re persons of faith. We’re simply trying to think or believe all the “right” things.
You’ve heard it said that if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then chances are it’s a duck. The same goes for Christianity and, I would imagine, any particular faith life. If all we’re doing is worrying about what everyone else is doing, then are we even doing anything at all? And if not, then we’re certainly not doing what Jesus would be doing. It’s What Would Jesus Do? Not, what would Jesus think? And if it talks like Jesus and walks like Jesus, then it must be a follower of Jesus. So, may we be real followers of Christ. May we make an impact in our world and in our communities. That’s what Jesus would do.
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