Jesus and Jainism

Dear friend

You asked me to defend my disbelief in Jainism. I thought it better to defend my actual beliefs, to figure out a statement of defence of my faith.

The conversations we've had, among other things, has nudged me to question my beliefs, at least to ask the question why?

Why do I believe in a God, a Creator? Why do I 'give my life' to Jesus? Why do I believe in Him?

When I was fifteen years old these questions plagued me, and the thoughts whirred around and around in my head, questioning and contradicting one another, and a great fear gripped me that I don't believe, do not have the evidence to do so, and therefore am condemned. It was very scary, so scary that at times I could hardly even eat.

At a point it dawned on me, with the aid of my dad's wisdom, that I could choose to believe, and this set many fears to rest. So yes, it was a choice.

But still, why choose this way? Why choose Jesus? Why choose the God who is said to have revealed himself to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David and many many others?

Firstly. I believe creation is ample evidence for a Creator. It seems to make logical sense that existence does not come from non-existence, and that complex systems are made by intelligent beings, and that life does not come from non-life. Stands to reason that there is an intelligent being behind it, who breathed life into the living.

But why believe in this specific God? Why believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the creator? Why not the pantheon of Rome? Why not the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

So.. my answer to that, is Jesus. Haha, cop-out right? Swimming in circles? no.

I'm arguing from the resurrection. Jesus said that only the sign of Jonah will be given to those seeking a sign, the sign of Jonah is his death and resurrection. If Jesus was resurrected from the dead (evidence to follow), then it follows that he was no ordinary man, that supernatural powers were at work and are real, that there is more to life than we can see. His resurrection would prove his wildest claim (that he is to rise from the dead), and gives him resounding credibility.

Much research has been done with regards to his death and resurrection, more can be read here. In summary though, historical evidence suggests he died on the cross, a few days later his body 'went missing', and around five hundred people saw him alive and breathing after even more had seen him die. The fact that the resurrection accounts depict women as the first witnesses to Jesus' resurrection draws serious question to the theories that the accounts were fictional - women's witness were not considered all that credible in 1st century Middle Eastern culture. Of all the possibilities, the idea that Jesus rose from the dead seems to be the narrative best supported by historical evidence.

"The silence of history is deafening when it comes to the testimony against the resurrection" - Tom Anderson

The resurrection draws sharp attention to Jesus.  While the resurrection in itself is not conclusive proof that Jesus is the Son of God and the coming Messiah, it does demand that Jesus be given serious consideration. Upon closer investigation one finds that Jesus fulfills many prophecies given by the prophets of Israel throughout the centuries, foretelling of a Saviour and Messiah who would suffer for the salvation of his people, the fulfilment of God's promises to Abraham, the father of the faith.

Many feel that faith is a leap in the dark, a self-inflicted blindness, a mindless submission to tradition, but this need not be the case, and indeed should not. The story is told of Thomas who, shortly after Jesus resurrection, refused to believe that Jesus was alive until he had seen it with his own eyes, and had touched Jesus' wounds. To this, Jesus appeared to Thomas, and invited him to touch his wounds, to examine the evidence and see for himself that Jesus was as alive as ever.

to be unintentional

I have a thought.

I have had this thought peeking its head around corners for the last few months, reminding me of its existence, yet seeking deeper and deeper into vagueness as time went on.

The thought is this: to be unintentional*

Back in the day (about a year ago), being intentional was big in Church. Don't just let life float by you, waving at it as it passes by (thanks Johhny Depp**). Be intentional. Don't just want to read your Bible, read it. Don't just wish you'd pray more, do it. Get up at six in the morning, or at five in the afternoon, open your Bible, close your eyes, and get down to it.

Be intentional.

beintentionalbeintentionalbeintentionalbeintentionalbeintentional

My truly lovely small group leader had the words pray, love, something-else-that's-also-important, and be intentional on her pin-board. It is really cool, and really true, and she carries an authority that would be wasted without intention. Being intentional is a part of her.

And yet, true and right and very Christian as it is - being intentional - a voice in me said be unintentional.  

Be unintentional.

do you know what that means? To be intentional, as far as my little brain understood it, meant to do things that you intend to do, on purpose, with the result that those things you intended to do got done, with the result (since Church was saying it) that God's intentions were realised through our doings and becomings.

so to be unintentional? not quite the opposite. to my little heart (which sometimes strained [strains?] at the seams with intentionality and confusion about realising the Lord's intentions), to be unintentional meant to relax - to let the Lord realise his intentions without my efforts and anxiety, without me knowing what I'm doing, or trying so very hard to know and to do and to fit my puzzle piece at the right moment into the right pigeon hole so I can breathe a great deep sigh of relief that at least that was over, and hope I don't get any more assignments of the devil, to piously carry out with clenched teeth and deeply suppressed groans of frustration.

To be unintentional meant that I could sit down, take the squawking birds out my ears and my hair, and put down the suitcases I didn't know I was carrying and couldn't remember picking up in the first place, and to breath an actual cry of relief.

Sometimes repentance looks like giving up. Giving up the fight, giving up the effort, giving up the works.

And my hope was and is that when I miss it completely, and finally come to the end of my strength and admit defeat, declare that I surrender the war on me, and go take a nap, the Lord's intentions will be realised.

I have a testimony about that, which combines intentionality with unintentionality. One Sunday, on the way back from SOS, still in a bit of a daze, I walked by two ladies sitting on the sidewalk, and turned around to sit with them and talk with them and pray with them. They turned out to be Zimbabweans, new to the country. This was a non-anxiety laden encounter. I then breezily walked off, pushed myself into the nearest old-age home to ask someone (anyone!) if I could pray for them, who regarded me from above their glasses (which should have been horn-rimmed for literary effect) and begrudgingly allowed me to do so and dash out again in a flurry of righteous embarrassment. Having fled that scene, I found the ladies mentioned above in the street before the old age home, one of whom told me that her back pain too had fled the scene when I prayed for her, and where could they find my church.

So that's what I meant by unintentionality. I did not get a word of knowledge about backpain, I did not rebuke the backpain and command it to leave because I didn't know about rebuking things and I also didn't know about the backpain. I did not rummage up enough 'faith' to withstand the backpain because, as I said, I didn't know about the pain. And I didn't pray about it at all.

All I did was go with the feeling (a feeling external to myself) that I should return to them, and sat and prayed with them. And left. I think you could call it obedience. I guess that's what Sias meant when he said "God desires your obedience not your performance".