THIS IS A ROUGH DRAFT!! PLEASE BE HARSH!!
If you could hold a conversation with someone (living or deceased) you consider significant, who would you talk to and what would you talk about? Describe your conversation.
Cast all anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
That him is referring to Jesus Christ, an undeniably influential figure in the history of mankind. Depending on one's religious views, one may consider Jesus a prophet, charlatan, teacher, or creator of the universe. I believe the latter. Nonetheless, there is no negating the influence he has had on development of society, and still continues to have to this present day. Jesus has personally influenced the life of myriads of people since the creation of mankind; he has had a great influence as people thousands of years before his existence awaited his birth, and he continues to have a magnificently large influence on people in the present that are awaiting his return. Thus, having a conversation with him would greatly clear up some points on the mysteries of mankind.
There are numerous things that I would want to discuss with Jesus, most of them having to do with denominations within the same religion. There have been numerous problems and acts of violence for hundreds of years all relating to slightly different beliefs in religious doctrine. I'm not even referring to the differences between completely different religions; I'm referring to the walled barriers that have been slowly constructed around slightly different beliefs within a religion- barriers that have established numerous different religious denominations. The way Jesus answers questions about denominations would have an undeniably large effect on the Christ-believing church; it would provide all Christians, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Presbytarian, a reason to unite instead of separate.
To begin with, I'd ask Jesus about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the ritual of breaking bread and drinking wine in commemoration of how Jesus shed his blood so that mankind's sins would be forgiven. Catholics fervently believe that when one celebrates the Eucharist, the bread utilized, upon consumed, literally turns into the body of Christ. Similarly, they believe that the wine drank with the bread turns into the blood of Christ. On the contrary, Protestants believe that the Eucharist is solely symbolic and none of the food products consumed actually turn into Christ. However, I can imagine that if I were to ask Jesus about how the Eucharist were to be celebrated, I'm sure he would prove both the Catholics and Christian's arguments futile as he would probably state, with love radiating out of his eyes, "child, all that matters is that you believe in the Eucharist. I commanded for you to do this, and the fact that you have obeyed me is all that matters to me." Then, I can only begin to fathom the sadness in his eyes as he would explain that the Eucharist was intended as a show of love and discipleship towards our creator, yet our imperfect sinful human ways have transformed it into a reason for self-righteous debate between different denominations. Jesus would probably explain to me that the Eucharist, just like various other things related to him, was meant to be a mystery that our frail human minds can't grasp. Thus, we shouldn't arrogantly be debating about it as if we were omniscient enough to actually understand it; we should be more humble about it, stop questioning it, and just do it.
The Eucharist is only one of a myriad of differences that have caused disunity in the Christian church. Another major difference in doctrine between the Protestant and Catholic Church that I would want to discuss with Jesus is the different views regarding the correct time of Baptism. There is no question that the Bible has ordered all of Jesus' believers to be baptized, but when? The Catholic Church fervently believes that the Baptism of a human being is a sacrament that which regenerates and justifies one's belief in Jesus. Thus it should be done as soon as possible, even promptly after birth. On the opposing side of the Spectrum, Protestants believe that Baptism is a testimony of a prior regeneration after trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Though the two meanings of Baptism sound almost indifferentiable, the slight difference is enough to cause monstrous debates between denominations. Unlike Catholics, Protestants believe that one should be baptized later in life when one has been "born again." One isn't born again until puts full trust in Jesus Christ, a step required to join the family of God. Since one can't grasp this concept when one is an infant, Protestants shun Catholics for baptizing their children at such an early age. If I were to ask Jesus about this in our hypothetical conversation, I'm sure he would give me an answer similar to that of the one given to me regarding the Eucharist. Jesus would probably chuckle at my question of "what is the right way to get baptized?" He would probably remind me of his famous statement in the Bible, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." "Remember when I said this?" I can imagine him asking me, "well, the only guidelines I left for Baptism is that one must be baptized by water. The rest I left up to you guys to decide." I'd sigh in relief at this statement as my Baptism has always been a source of anxiety for me. I was baptized in the Catholic Church yet I now attend a Protestant church. I have been urged by the Pastor and other leading figures in my church to get baptized again, but I ardently believe that Baptism is something that should only be done once. Therefore, I'd be extremely relieved to hear that I've made the right decision in not being baptized again if Jesus were to tell me that what he said about Baptism was meant to be taken as a guideline.
I am an advocate of Christian unity. I believe that it is arrogant of human beings to believe that we posses enough knowledge to truly dictate what it right and wrong in our religion. God is the final judge; we are imperfect and sinful and therefore unable to judge anything ourselves. We should accept the Christian doctrine provided to us with humility instead of using it to create divisions. If I were presented with an opportunity to converse with Jesus, this is what our conversation would mainly consist of. But must our society wait for a conversation with Jesus to unite us? Shouldn't we be united anyway? After all, as I would tell Jesus in our conversation, "isn't our mutual love for you, our creator, enough to unite us?" Doesn't that trump all denominational differences?
If you could hold a conversation with someone (living or deceased) you consider significant, who would you talk to and what would you talk about? Describe your conversation.
Cast all anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
That him is referring to Jesus Christ, an undeniably influential figure in the history of mankind. Depending on one's religious views, one may consider Jesus a prophet, charlatan, teacher, or creator of the universe. I believe the latter. Nonetheless, there is no negating the influence he has had on development of society, and still continues to have to this present day. Jesus has personally influenced the life of myriads of people since the creation of mankind; he has had a great influence as people thousands of years before his existence awaited his birth, and he continues to have a magnificently large influence on people in the present that are awaiting his return. Thus, having a conversation with him would greatly clear up some points on the mysteries of mankind.
There are numerous things that I would want to discuss with Jesus, most of them having to do with denominations within the same religion. There have been numerous problems and acts of violence for hundreds of years all relating to slightly different beliefs in religious doctrine. I'm not even referring to the differences between completely different religions; I'm referring to the walled barriers that have been slowly constructed around slightly different beliefs within a religion- barriers that have established numerous different religious denominations. The way Jesus answers questions about denominations would have an undeniably large effect on the Christ-believing church; it would provide all Christians, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Presbytarian, a reason to unite instead of separate.
To begin with, I'd ask Jesus about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the ritual of breaking bread and drinking wine in commemoration of how Jesus shed his blood so that mankind's sins would be forgiven. Catholics fervently believe that when one celebrates the Eucharist, the bread utilized, upon consumed, literally turns into the body of Christ. Similarly, they believe that the wine drank with the bread turns into the blood of Christ. On the contrary, Protestants believe that the Eucharist is solely symbolic and none of the food products consumed actually turn into Christ. However, I can imagine that if I were to ask Jesus about how the Eucharist were to be celebrated, I'm sure he would prove both the Catholics and Christian's arguments futile as he would probably state, with love radiating out of his eyes, "child, all that matters is that you believe in the Eucharist. I commanded for you to do this, and the fact that you have obeyed me is all that matters to me." Then, I can only begin to fathom the sadness in his eyes as he would explain that the Eucharist was intended as a show of love and discipleship towards our creator, yet our imperfect sinful human ways have transformed it into a reason for self-righteous debate between different denominations. Jesus would probably explain to me that the Eucharist, just like various other things related to him, was meant to be a mystery that our frail human minds can't grasp. Thus, we shouldn't arrogantly be debating about it as if we were omniscient enough to actually understand it; we should be more humble about it, stop questioning it, and just do it.
The Eucharist is only one of a myriad of differences that have caused disunity in the Christian church. Another major difference in doctrine between the Protestant and Catholic Church that I would want to discuss with Jesus is the different views regarding the correct time of Baptism. There is no question that the Bible has ordered all of Jesus' believers to be baptized, but when? The Catholic Church fervently believes that the Baptism of a human being is a sacrament that which regenerates and justifies one's belief in Jesus. Thus it should be done as soon as possible, even promptly after birth. On the opposing side of the Spectrum, Protestants believe that Baptism is a testimony of a prior regeneration after trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Though the two meanings of Baptism sound almost indifferentiable, the slight difference is enough to cause monstrous debates between denominations. Unlike Catholics, Protestants believe that one should be baptized later in life when one has been "born again." One isn't born again until puts full trust in Jesus Christ, a step required to join the family of God. Since one can't grasp this concept when one is an infant, Protestants shun Catholics for baptizing their children at such an early age. If I were to ask Jesus about this in our hypothetical conversation, I'm sure he would give me an answer similar to that of the one given to me regarding the Eucharist. Jesus would probably chuckle at my question of "what is the right way to get baptized?" He would probably remind me of his famous statement in the Bible, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." "Remember when I said this?" I can imagine him asking me, "well, the only guidelines I left for Baptism is that one must be baptized by water. The rest I left up to you guys to decide." I'd sigh in relief at this statement as my Baptism has always been a source of anxiety for me. I was baptized in the Catholic Church yet I now attend a Protestant church. I have been urged by the Pastor and other leading figures in my church to get baptized again, but I ardently believe that Baptism is something that should only be done once. Therefore, I'd be extremely relieved to hear that I've made the right decision in not being baptized again if Jesus were to tell me that what he said about Baptism was meant to be taken as a guideline.
I am an advocate of Christian unity. I believe that it is arrogant of human beings to believe that we posses enough knowledge to truly dictate what it right and wrong in our religion. God is the final judge; we are imperfect and sinful and therefore unable to judge anything ourselves. We should accept the Christian doctrine provided to us with humility instead of using it to create divisions. If I were presented with an opportunity to converse with Jesus, this is what our conversation would mainly consist of. But must our society wait for a conversation with Jesus to unite us? Shouldn't we be united anyway? After all, as I would tell Jesus in our conversation, "isn't our mutual love for you, our creator, enough to unite us?" Doesn't that trump all denominational differences?
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