On one side stands a towering building reaching toward the sky. It represents the Christian Church. It has a history spanning two thousand years, billions of followers around the world, and a rich spiritual heritage. At first glance, it appears majestic and impressive. But on closer inspection, something seems unsettling. The building appears to be leaning slightly, as though it could collapse at any moment.
The reason is simple: its foundation is weak.
The foundation is labeled "Beliefs about Jesus."
For centuries, the Church has been built primarily upon doctrines such as: Jesus is the incarnation of God, he was born of a virgin, he died as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, he rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come again. These beliefs have become the principal foundation of Christianity.
But what is the nature of belief?
A belief is not something that can be proven. It can be accepted or rejected. One person believes; another does not. That is precisely why it is called a belief. Since beliefs cannot be established by conclusive evidence, any great spiritual structure built solely upon them will always be vulnerable to questions, doubts, and criticism.
In today's world, advances in science, historical research, biblical scholarship, and critical thinking have led many people to question these beliefs. Consequently, a structure resting entirely upon beliefs naturally becomes unstable.
Yet the picture shows another foundation.
It is a massive foundation on solid rock.
Its name is "The Teachings of Jesus."
The heart of Jesus' mission was not doctrine but life. He taught that God loves human beings unconditionally. Through the parable of the Prodigal Son, he revealed the heart of a Father who patiently waits for his lost child to return. He proclaimed that God joyfully welcomes the repentant sinner. He taught us to love even our enemies, to forgive without limits, to show compassion, to live humbly, and to recognize God's presence in the least and the forgotten. He presented the Kingdom of God not as a religious institution but as a new way of living that begins in the human heart.
These teachings do not belong to Christianity alone; they are the shared treasure of humanity. Times may change, cultures may evolve, and scientific knowledge may advance, but these truths never lose their value. Love never becomes obsolete. Compassion never goes out of date. Forgiveness never loses its relevance. Truth and justice remain a solid foundation in every generation.
The Christian Church, therefore, should have been built primarily upon the life-giving teachings of Jesus rather than upon beliefs about him.
Had this been its foundation, the Church would have stood unshaken. People might question doctrines, but it is far more difficult to reject the values of love, mercy, forgiveness, and justice. The true strength of the Church would have rested not in its creeds but in its witness through the way it lives.
This image is not a message of despair.
It is a message of hope.
The building has not yet fallen. There is still time to change its foundation. If the Church shifts its emphasis from beliefs about Jesus to the life and teachings of Jesus, it can once again stand firmly upon solid rock.
In fact, this is exactly what Jesus himself taught.
He said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock." When the rains came, the floods rose, and the winds beat against that house, it did not fall because its foundation was on the rock. But the one who hears his words and does not live by them is like a foolish man who built his house upon sand.
This is a remarkable distinction.
Jesus did not say, "Build your life upon beliefs about me." He said, "Build your life upon my words by putting them into practice." That difference is profound.
The future of the Church does not depend on abandoning beliefs about Jesus. Rather, it depends on restoring the teachings of Jesus to the very center of its life. Beliefs may divide people, but love, compassion, forgiveness, and justice have the power to unite them. Doctrines about Jesus will always be discussed, interpreted, and debated. But the way of life that Jesus lived and taught never grows old.
The greatest question before the Church today is therefore this:
Is the Church being built upon beliefs about Jesus, or upon the rock of what Jesus actually taught?
The answer to that question will shape the future of Christianity.
It is not too late.
The strongest foundation for the Christian Church is not merely the claims made about Jesus, but the life he lived and the truths he taught. There is still time to return to that foundation.
3 comments:
I read your Article very attentively and studiously. I fully agree with all the views and perspectives you have aired in it. It is exactly what Our Lord Jesus meant. But the ' Overlords ' of today's Church and Denominations have built their 'superstructure ' on the so- called 'faith ' and ' traditions. ' which has developed 'cracks ' which will eventually lead to its crumbling and devastation. But one thing I disagree with you ( forgive my pessimism , if at all it is ! ) is ' the powers that be ' and their slavish followers will never be ' the Prodigal Sons who returned.' But let us, as faithful ordinary believers, be ' The Remnant ' (The Little Flock) upholding Love, Truth and Justice in our life.
Dear John sir,
As always, you have presented your thoughtful concerns about the gradual deviation from the basic teachings of Jesus, with clarity and in a persuasive manner.
Though I would not like to be pessimistic, these are likely to be resisted and even forcefully questioned not only by the powerful hierarchy but even laity.
The laity have been brought up in the existing teachings of Churches with more emphasis on beliefs about Jesus rather than his teachings.
Though many groups may be averse to this shift in emphasis, I am sure that many individuals are likely to be open to these thoughts.
Just sharing one thought that came to my mind :
Can a solid looking structure be shown on the strong foundation?.
Some people may compare and feel that nothing is seen built on the left foundation.
May be excused if this is a silly idea and not fitting into the way you visualised this.
A number of points, some of which I have already made in the past.
If we think in terms of creed, cult and code, the creed would fall into the belief category, and cult would be aligned to the creed. These two are not about the direct teaching of Jesus. But the code is about ethical/moral behaviour, and could be seen as Jesus' direct teaching. So, in your view, creed and cult should be downplayed and the code emphasised?
The other point is about what constitutes Jesus's direct teaching? In addition to announcing the Kingdom and our invitation to repent, there is the Sermon on the Mount, and the parables that teach how we can enter the Kindom and live out tge values now. These are all direct teaching.
But Jesus also taught other other things which you might not see as his direct teachings, examples:
- His death as ransom
- His blood spilled for the forgiveness of sins.
- His apocalyptic and end times teaching, including final judgement.
- His teaching through the passion, crucifixion and death
- His post resurrection teachings
I wonder why these aren't considered Jesus's direct teachings. The words were spoken by him according to the evangelists.
One more point: even clear direct teaching can be interpreted in more than one way. For example, Willard holds that the Beautitides are not standards to be fulfilled, rather they are statements that the weak, marginalised, poor etc being eligible for the Kingdom, it's not just for the elite. Somebody like Rohr would say that the Beautiudes are a new subversive way to be lived out.
Hope this is of some use.
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