A Weak Foundation and a Solid Rock

 

This image is a powerful metaphor that invites deep reflection on the present condition of the Christian Church.

On one side, there is a towering building reaching up to the sky. That is the Christian Church. It has two thousand years of history, millions of believers across the world, and a rich spiritual heritage. At first glance, it appears magnificent and grand. But upon closer inspection, one thing becomes noticeable. The building seems slightly tilted. It looks as though it could collapse at any moment.

The reason is that its foundation is weak.

Written on that foundation are "Beliefs about Jesus."

For centuries, the Christian Church has placed its main emphasis on beliefs such as Jesus being the incarnation of the Son of God, born of a virgin, sacrificed on the cross as atonement for the sins of humanity, raised on the third day, taken up into heaven, and coming again.

But what is the nature of a belief?

A belief is not something that can be proven. It can be accepted or rejected. One person may believe; another may not. It is called belief precisely because it cannot be conclusively established by evidence. Therefore, when a large spiritual structure is built on beliefs alone, it will always be subject to questions, doubts, and criticism.

In today’s world, as science, historical research, biblical studies, and critical thinking have grown stronger, many of these beliefs have begun to be questioned. In such a situation, it is natural for a building resting only on beliefs to become unstable.

But in the image, there is another foundation as well.

It is a solid foundation made of rock.

Its name is "Jesus' Teachings."

The center of Jesus’ life was not doctrines; it was life. He taught that God loves human beings unconditionally. Through the love of a father waiting for his wayward son, He revealed the heart of God. He declared that God welcomes the repentant sinner. He taught that one must love even one’s enemies, forgive, show mercy, live humbly, and see God in the least of human beings. He also showed that the kingdom of God is not a religious system, but a new way of life that begins in the human heart.

These teachings do not belong to a particular religion. They are the common heritage of humanity. No matter how times change, cultures change, or science advances, their value does not diminish. Love never grows old. Compassion never becomes obsolete. Forgiveness never loses relevance. Truth and justice remain a firm foundation for all time.

Here, an important distinction must be recognized. Faith in Jesus and beliefs about Jesus are not the same. To believe in Jesus means to depend on Him and decide to walk in the way He showed. Such faith leads a person to repentance, transformation, and godliness. But merely accepting beliefs about Jesus does not necessarily transform a person. Even someone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He rose from the dead, and that He will come again can still live without love, without compassion, and without forgiveness. But a person who truly believes in Jesus cannot remain unchanged without following His life and His words.

This is exactly what Jesus taught most powerfully in the Sermon on the Mount.

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock," He said. Even though rain, floods, and winds came, that house did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. But He also warned that the one who hears the words and does not live by them is like someone who built a house on sand.

In the same way, Jesus gives another serious warning:

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

This is extremely significant. Jesus did not say, "Build your life on beliefs about me," but rather, "Hear my words and live according to them." Merely confessing Jesus as "Lord" is not enough; doing the will of the heavenly Father is what matters.

Throughout history, it often seems that the Christian world has chosen a broader path rather than the narrow one. A path that gave more importance to accepting beliefs about Jesus than to living according to His words.

It is in this context that the words of the Apostle James become relevant:

"Faith without works is dead."

Even demons believe that God exists. But that belief does not make them godly. Likewise, a faith that does not lead a person into love, compassion, and justice is dead. Such faith can even become spiritual self-deception.

This image does not convey a message of despair; it conveys a message of hope.

The building has not yet collapsed. Therefore, it is not too late to strengthen the foundation.

The future of the Church does not lie in abandoning beliefs about Jesus; it lies in bringing living faith in Jesus back to the center. True faith in Jesus will inevitably be expressed in the love, compassion, forgiveness, and justice that Jesus taught.

The doctrines about Jesus may be discussed and interpreted according to the times. But the way of love that Jesus lived and taught never grows old.

So even today, the greatest question before the Church is this:

Are we more focused on defending beliefs about Jesus, or on believing in Jesus and living the life He taught?

The answer to this question will determine the future of the Church.

It is not too late. The greatest strength of the Church lies not merely in declarations of belief about Jesus, but in the love, compassion, forgiveness, and justice that arise from living faith in Jesus. There is still time to rebuild on that rock.

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Dear friend, 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I sincerely appreciate it.

I would be grateful to hear your thoughts and feedback. If it is not possible to leave a comment here, I kindly request that you send me an email instead.   Johnkunnathu@gmail.com 

The Malayalam version of this article

One Faith, Two Interpretations

How Different Readings of an Islamic Worldview Can Lead to Very Different Outcomes

To understand Islamist extremism, we must first avoid a common mistake: treating all Muslims as if they think alike.

Muslims around the world do not interpret or practice their faith in the same way. The same religious concepts can be understood in very different ways, and those differences in interpretation often lead to very different attitudes toward society, politics, and the use of force.

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One Belief – Two Interpretations

In Islamic theology, God is described as Rabb (Lord, Master, Sustainer), and human beings as 'Abd (servant or slave of God). Another foundational belief is that Allah is all-knowing (omniscient) and all-powerful (omnipotent).

These beliefs are shared by Muslims across the world. What differs is how they are interpreted and applied.

Many Muslims understand these ideas primarily in a personal and spiritual sense. Since God is all-knowing and all-powerful, they believe that ultimate judgment belongs to Him alone. Their responsibility is to live righteous, peaceful, and moral lives, leaving the final accountability of every human being to God.

Islamist extremist movements, however, interpret these same concepts very differently. In their worldview, God's sovereignty is not merely a spiritual reality but a political mandate that must be established in society. They argue that it is the duty of believers to enforce what they understand to be God's law and to confront systems that oppose it. Some extremist organizations go further, using this interpretation to justify violence in pursuit of their political and religious objectives.

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The Difference Is Not the Belief, but the Interpretation

This is the crucial point.

Both peaceful Muslims and Islamist extremists believe that Allah is all-knowing and all-powerful.

But one interpretation says:

"God knows everything and has power over everything. Therefore, ultimate judgment belongs to Him. Human beings should live faithfully and leave justice in God's hands."

The other interpretation says:

"God's authority must be established on earth, and believers have the responsibility to make that happen—even through political struggle or, in the case of extremist groups, violence."

The difference is profound.

In one understanding, belief in God's omnipotence leads to humility, patience, and trust in God's justice.

In the other, the same belief is interpreted as a mandate for human action to establish what is believed to be God's rule on earth.

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Where Does Extremism Come From?

Not every interpretation of Islam leads to extremism. However, Islamist extremist movements frequently justify their actions by appealing to particular interpretations of Islamic texts and theological concepts.

For that reason, anyone seeking to understand Islamist extremism should focus not on Muslims as a whole, but on the specific interpretations and ideological frameworks that are used to legitimize violence and coercion.

Understanding these interpretations does not mean that they represent all Muslims. Nor does it mean that violence is an inevitable consequence of Islamic belief. It means recognizing that the way religious ideas are interpreted can have profound consequences for how individuals and movements act.

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Conclusion

To understand any religion, it is not enough to study its doctrines alone. One must also examine how those doctrines are interpreted and lived out by different people.

The same religious language can inspire lives of peace, humility, and compassion. It can also be interpreted by extremist movements in ways that seek to justify political domination or violence.

Therefore, the central question in discussing Islamist extremism is not "Who are Muslims?" but rather "Which interpretations are being used to justify violence, and how should those interpretations be critically examined?"

Only by making this distinction can we have a discussion that is intellectually honest, historically informed, and fair to the diversity that exists within the Muslim world.