“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
— John 14:1-14, English Standard Version
7 Comments
And when are you going to finally swim the Tiber?
Well… technically, I already did. Got down on my knees a few weeks ago and basically said, "OK, JC, you win. I'm done arguing and fighting. I'm a Christian, I believe in God the Father of Christ Jesus, and I believe that Jesus is my Saviour and King".
I haven't been baptised yet, but that will happen sooner rather than later – just as soon as I get out of Pagan Country and into a place with proper churches to do that sort of thing.
Things have been pretty interesting since then. Without going into too many details just yet, let's just say this:
All of that stuff that Christians talk about with respect to getting high on the Holy Spirit, and how good it feels to be a player instead of a fan, and how you become a very different, and much better, person after you accept Christ?
It's all 100% true.
Yes, I know it's true. Don't expect to feel it all the time; you would become jaded. But there will be moments when the presence of God is so strong that…well…it's better than sex.
Now, which version did you choose? Personally, I think God has more on His plate than to worry about minor variables of dogma and doctrine, but I – Francis the never sufficiently to be damned notwithstanding – kind of prefer Catholic.
And, and welcome, Bro. Now we need to work on your Yankee citizenship.
Yes. It does not happen often, but when He decides to let His presence be known, it is a pretty amazing feeling.
Now, which version did you choose?
I haven't really gotten hung up much over questions of which particular denomination to follow. I feel like it's more important now to understand what the Scriptures themselves actually say, and to see how it all stacks together. There are a number of "contradictions" to the Scriptures that non-believers love to nitpick about, but are in fact nothing of the sort when one actually reads them carefully.
The example of Christ talking about throwing the children's bread to the dogs, contrasted with St. Paul talking about how there is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ, is one such, where if one actually bothers to look closely, there is no contradiction.
I will readily concede, though, that the Catholics have done more to advance the cause of human enlightenment, progress, and happiness than literally anyone else.
And, and welcome, Bro. Now we need to work on your Yankee citizenship.
Thank you, sir. With some luck, that latter may come through someday, but no matter what, I know now that I will never, ever be truly alone again – which is a big change from where I was a year ago.
For round two or three, you ought to get a book on St. Ignatius and learn the spiritual exercises. While it's a Catholic thing, the method is useful and transferable to any christian.
I came across the Examen of St. Ignatius when I read a biography about Steve Bannon last year. They look promising.