clcouch123

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Saint Francis and the Sultan

(a contemporary conversation)

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What is the truth of Jesus Christ?

Hmm.  Well, the truth of Jesus Christ is that he is the child of God.  He is human and God, in fact.  He is one of three parts of God.  Three parts, always one part.  One entity.  God the creator, Jesus the savior, the Holy Spirit the guide.  One way Christians put it.

Jesus came into the world to save the world.  To save humanity, for certain.  Perhaps to save the rest of the world and all of creation.  The fallen elements—and maybe everything has fallen.

How does Christ save the world?

I’m not sure.  Faith is a mystery.  But I believe that, as a person, Christ taught a gospel (some good news) of life in love while affirming a covenant between God and people made so that we might know each other and live with each other, eternally.  Jesus performed miracles that emphasize his teachings and lend them some authority, though really I believe the main purpose of the miracles was, and is, for the benefit of those immediately in need.

As a human being, Jesus was perfect.  His godly nature had something to do with that, I’m sure.  At the last, he was too good for this world.  He was accused by his people and people at large.  He was accused of blasphemy and sedition.  He was arrested and was executed.  His body was entombed.

But he rose again to life.  As God and human, he had the power to live this way.  He offers that experience to us, because one day each of us will die.  But we are invited to live again and forever.  The means of this is grace for which we pay nothing because Christ through his experience has paid the cost for us.

Is belief in Christ the only way?

For me, yes.  For Christians, yes.  For others, I do not know.  I don’t know enough about the insides of other traditions.  And I cannot judge.  God judges, and God will judge perfectly.

What about love?

God is a God of love.  All the parts of God are love.  In love, God created the universe, the Earth, and us.  In love, Jesus came to Earth.  In love, he lived, died, and was resurrected.  We are called to have faith in love and to live in love as best we can and may.

Isn’t love weak?

Love is the strongest force there is.  It ends anger and ends war.  It starts and keeps families.  We are literally fed best through a loving, working relationship with nature.  We will explore this Earth better if we love the Earth and approach the Earth and cosmos with love.  But we’ll need good machines.  Love is practical that way as well.

They go inside to talk some more.  The scribe was not permitted.

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C L Couch

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Sunset was falling as a man threaded his hook.

Photo by Samson Vowles on Unsplash

Istanbul, Turkey

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