Freedom
As we celebrate Jesus' birth this holiday season, I think about the beauty of our relationship with Jesus. I have had the pleasure to learn more about the Muslim faith during my time in Sierra Leone. There are some practices that I truly admire, such as their commitment to prayer.
But one thing we often take for granted as Christians is the power of Jesus. Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet, not as the Savior, not as God's Son who has forgiven our sins, wiped away our mistakes, given us a clean slate.
From my own understanding, as a Muslim, you have to earn your salvation. But as a Christian, there is nothing we could possibly do to earn his love, to earn his forgiveness. We are not perfect human beings, we have the freedom to love, to make mistakes, and to get back up again, knowing that we are still loved, we are forgiven.
For many of us, there is something appealing to the idea that if we check off the "good" things on the list, then we can go to heaven. We like lists and we like to check things off lists. If we follow rules then we receive salvation. For me, it is hard to wrap my mind around forgiveness and the power of Jesus.
Then I think about the stress of following a specific set of rules. It's like teaching in the U.S compared to that of Sierra Leone. I can't even put my hands on a child in a classroom in the U.S, for fear I might get reprimanded. Yes, there are some rules in Sierra Leone, but I have more freedom to make my own choices as a teacher. If I want to take my students on a field trip, I might tell the headmaster we are going, and then we go.
I realize how difficult it would be to follow a specific set of rules to get into heaven. To realize that my entire existence after death depends on the obedience of these rules. I would worry. I would constantly worry. I would constantly be paranoid that if I made a small mistake, I would not be able to go to heaven.
I thank God for the freedom I have teaching in Sierra Leone. I thank God for the freedom we have in Christ. We do not have to live day to day, worry about what we said or thought, just so we can go to heaven. We have the freedom to make mistakes, He forgives, we learn, we keep walking.
But one thing we often take for granted as Christians is the power of Jesus. Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet, not as the Savior, not as God's Son who has forgiven our sins, wiped away our mistakes, given us a clean slate.
From my own understanding, as a Muslim, you have to earn your salvation. But as a Christian, there is nothing we could possibly do to earn his love, to earn his forgiveness. We are not perfect human beings, we have the freedom to love, to make mistakes, and to get back up again, knowing that we are still loved, we are forgiven.
For many of us, there is something appealing to the idea that if we check off the "good" things on the list, then we can go to heaven. We like lists and we like to check things off lists. If we follow rules then we receive salvation. For me, it is hard to wrap my mind around forgiveness and the power of Jesus.
Then I think about the stress of following a specific set of rules. It's like teaching in the U.S compared to that of Sierra Leone. I can't even put my hands on a child in a classroom in the U.S, for fear I might get reprimanded. Yes, there are some rules in Sierra Leone, but I have more freedom to make my own choices as a teacher. If I want to take my students on a field trip, I might tell the headmaster we are going, and then we go.
I realize how difficult it would be to follow a specific set of rules to get into heaven. To realize that my entire existence after death depends on the obedience of these rules. I would worry. I would constantly worry. I would constantly be paranoid that if I made a small mistake, I would not be able to go to heaven.
I thank God for the freedom I have teaching in Sierra Leone. I thank God for the freedom we have in Christ. We do not have to live day to day, worry about what we said or thought, just so we can go to heaven. We have the freedom to make mistakes, He forgives, we learn, we keep walking.
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