May I Walk With You

hen people ask me what Christians believe, I naturally turn to the Nicene Creed that is recited at every mass. It is not very long and contains the very basic doctrine of Christianity. It is not easy to explain all of it since every statement and phrase is packed with enormous and yet simple meaning. Yet, there is even something much shorter. It is called the Kerygma and is from the Bible.

It says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (The Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 16-17). That’s it in a nutshell.

I think one of the reasons that more people are not Christian is that becoming Christian is made too easy. It seems harder than it really is. To become Christian a person simply needs to acknowledge and accept the above Bible passage. It helps if a person prays a simple prayer like this from ChristLife.

“Lord God, please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong, I turn to you and turn away from sin (selfishness). Jesus, please be the center of my life. I welcome you personally as Lord and Savior of my life. I ask you, Holy Spirit, to fill me and empower me to live as a child of God. I want to have your grace to truly live a new life. Thank you for hearing my prayer, through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

It seems that many of us have received the sacraments, pray often, and live good lives, yet have never really encountered Jesus and made him the center of our lives. Of course, once you have accepted Jesus as the Son of God and believe in him, it is natural to ask the questions, how would Jesus want me to live this new life? What other things are important for me to investigate and incorporate in the way I believe and live? What are the things, beliefs and behaviors, that I should avoid because they injure my new relationship with God and my neighbor? While becoming Christian takes only a second, learning to live as a Christian takes a lifetime. It is like getting married, the ceremony only takes a few minutes, but becoming a good spouse is a lifetime process. The best advice I can give to new Christians is to become part of a group of believers, a church. All around us there are established churches that welcome new believers all the time. I am most familiar with the Catholic Church, partly because I was raised Catholic and also because I have come to have a greater knowledge of it and its sacramental life.

It is through the sacraments, among other practices, that I grow in my relationship with Jesus. If it had not been for 2,000 or more years of Catholic Church life, passing on the love and knowledge of God, I would never have heard about Jesus and salvation. For that I will be eternally grateful. Like a new tomato plant needs to be nurtured in a garden, the new Christian needs to be surrounded by believers who can instruct, nourish, and love them. Welcome.

“ May the Lord bless and keep you. May he let his face shine upon you and give you his peace.”