How can you say such a thing?
by Michael Donahoe
So often, when we think of Jesus, we think of Christianity. Many people seem to believe that Jesus actually started Christianity. The fact is, Jesus did not establish a new religion, nor did he come to create another religious system for people to follow. Jesus was not about religion. He came to show the love of God to the human race. He loves and accepts people, not because of the religious label they carry or the beliefs they hold, but because they are people loved by God.
The word Christian was first used in the city of Antioch to describe those who followed Jesus (Acts 11:26). It is often understood to mean “little Christs.” These were people whose lives reflected the teachings, actions, and love of Jesus so much that others identified them with him. They were spreading the good news of Jesus, demonstrating his love, and doing the very things Jesus had taught them to do.
When we use the term Christian in that sense, there is certainly nothing wrong with it. Being Christ-like, loving God, loving others, and doing the works of Jesus should be what the word represents. But when we use Christian to identify ourselves with a particular church, follow a specific doctrine, or align ourselves with a particular pastor or religious organization, it can become little more than another religious label. Personally, I would rather not define my relationship with God by that label.
Jesus is the Son of God, and he loves all people. He does not look at people through the labels of Muslim, Jew, Christian, or any other religious identity. He sees people. He sees individuals who need love, acceptance, grace, and the opportunity to experience the love of God. Our relationship with God is not about belonging to Christianity or following a religious institution. It is about coming to know God through Christ.
It is time we stopped looking to the organized world of religion as the means of becoming acceptable and pleasing to God. Instead, we need to look to Christ, allowing him to live through us and demonstrate his love to those we encounter each day. Stop demanding that others follow your doctrines, your rules, and your particular beliefs. Instead, accept people as they are, extend the same love and grace that Jesus demonstrated, and allow God to work in their lives in whatever way God sees fit.
We are never going to completely agree with one another on matters of doctrine and religion. But it is through Christ and the love of God that we can learn to share that love with others. Let us be known not simply by what we believe or the doctrines we defend, but by what it truly means to be a Christian: following the example of Jesus, living out His teachings, doing His works, and loving God and one another.
Michael Donahoe created Done with Religion after he and his wife left the institutional church after over fifty years within the system. He wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system, and tell why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. They have now been outside the walls of religion for several years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/
