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.
The building on the right represents Christianity as it largely exists today. The building on the left represents the kind of Christianity we long to see.
Notice the difference between the two.
In the building on the right, the foundation stones are beliefs about Jesus, while the teachings of Jesus appear only as the ornamental decorations at the top.
In the building on the left, however, the foundation stones are the teachings of Jesus. Beliefs about Jesus are still present, but they serve as the ornamental features of the building rather than its foundation.
This picture invites us to reflect on two important questions:
Should the teachings of Jesus be the foundation, or merely the ornament?
Should the beliefs about Jesus be the foundation, or should they occupy a secondary, decorative place?
These are the questions that this picture places before us.
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
7 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.
I read John's article and wholeheartedly agree with its ideas. I do not feel that it needs any correction. It provides a fundamental clarification that believers need to understand.
There is a great deal of confusion surrounding this subject today. I am convinced that the clarification John offers will be beneficial to those who read it.
However, people like John are only isolated voices here and there, while the ideas that the majority of believers hear repeatedly and experience in their churches are quite the opposite. As a result, even if what is presented here is 100% true according to Scripture, it may not take deep root in people's minds. That is a reality.
This has been a source of pain for me for the past fifty years. From childhood, people are taught a particular way of understanding the faith. As they grow up, they continue to hear the same interpretations of Jesus repeated within the framework of their church traditions. Eventually, they come to believe that this alone is the truth and that there is no possibility beyond it.
In such a context, clarifications like this are absolutely essential. Yet, from my long experience, I have come to realize that our people are often not in a position to receive them with an open mind. That is a painful reality.
Nevertheless, we cannot ignore reality. The only thing we can do is to continue presenting these truths, repeat them patiently, reach as many people as possible, and keep making every effort to spread them.
I sincerely pray that Almighty God will continue to guide and strengthen John in all his efforts. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks for sharing this thoughtful and valuable article.
Dear and respected John Kunnathu
Your reflections strike at the very roots of the poverty and limitations of not only institutionalized churches but of many entrenched systems throughout human history. In many ways, they seem to uncover an ongoing historical transition—part of the broader evolutionary development of human thought and society—described by authors such as Yuval Noah Harari in Sapiens and, more recently, Nexus.
Yet, even in such periods of transition, prophetic voices remain indispensable. Reflections such as yours serve as signposts, calling people back to what is essential.
Returning to the foundation—to the person of Jesus Christ and His teachings—is especially crucial at a time when religious institutions often respond to change by adding more doctrinal formulations and constitutional regulations in an effort to preserve outdated status quos. Genuine renewal, however, comes not from multiplying structures but from rediscovering the simplicity and transformative power of Christ's life and message.
May the voice crying in the wilderness reach even the palaces of Herod.
Dear John Sir,
Greetings to you! As usual ,this article of yours also happens to be thought-provoking. It comes in line with my thoughts . Thank you for writing it so succinctly and audaciously.
Yes, Christianity is not merely a religion with a set of beliefs or doctrines but rather a system of values taught and lived by Christ. And we ought to emulate Christ in our thoughts, words and deeds . It is more than a theory about God and Universe ,more than teachings written down on papers, it is a path along which we journey -in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life . Christian Church ought not to be considered merely an organization but rather an organism.
I apprecite you for coming out with such a beautiful article . May it enlighten everyone who reads it ! Wishing you every blessing !
Fr T George, Ireland
Dear John Kunnath,
Many thanks for the beautiful way you have brought out distortion of Jesus' teachings by the established churches, all of which without exception, seek after power, money and wealth, and show of pomposity. Mammon seems to have occupied the altar, and the leaders mislead the folks by misinterpreting the teachings of Jesus, and anyone who counteracts or questions the way the teachings of Jesus are distorted is excommunicated. Too much institutionalization of the church is the biggest block to the witnessing of Jesus, and the notion of the the Kingdom of God has been identified with the earthly kingdom. Much to the dismay of many the mystical dimension of faith has been displaced with meaningless ritualism. Clericalism has has made rituals and tradition the most important. As the prophetic Pope Francis denounced clericalism and tradition, and called holding to tradition as most important "the worship of ashes", let us learn denounce the way Christian faith is identified with ceremonies and triumphalism. We need to join hands in fighting against the distortion of Christian faith.
Thanks for the effort made by you dear John Kunnath.
Yours in Jesus the Liberator
Fr. Varghese Manimala
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