Minister’s Blog
For what reason did God have to incarnate into the human world taking human form? According to the Gospel of John, it was love for humanity, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”(3:16)
What the first Christians chose to focus on was not figuring out the mysterious nature of Jesus, but learning and living the message of Jesus. For them, theological debate was less important than the experiential reality of love taught by Jesus.
We can only achieve a prosperous community when all members feel secure and are met with basic needs to have a satisfactory life. This is achieved only by means of sharing what we have with each other.
Most of us are quite aware of our weaknesses and shortcomings, yet with a degree of shame. Therefore, why should we challenge ourselves by revealing them?
According to Jesus, there is a condition to be met in order to know the truth, which is becoming a true disciple of Jesus which is achieved by living a life according to his teachings.
Jesus having the last supper at the house of an anonymous person symbolizes that the ritual of Communion must happen within the minds of people for the sake of their own spiritual well-being.
Sin enters inside when we fail to “master it.” In other words, the Bible emphasizes that sin is something that humans could master and thus keep it outside.
The word temptation is used in a positive way in the Bible, both Old and New Testament. The Hebrew word for temptation is nissah, meaning “to test or prove” one’s faithfulness in God.
Perhaps wisdom is not about being able to answer all questions or figure out solutions, but finding a way to embrace calm and thus a sense of peace while living through chaos and injustice.
Spiritual awareness is not simply knowing about “spiritual” matters and issues, but rather being able to sense and acknowledge what is not materialistic within oneself and in one’s life.