After reading a letter by Mr. Norris (May 20, 2015), I had to write.
He is correct in stating that “Christianity is not a sport. It is not a team, or a gang, or a political party.” He is partially correct in stating “Christianity is love for neighbor.” However, in his statement, “It does not matter whether a god actually exists” he is absolutely incorrect and must be corrected.
In Matthew 22:37 we find after being asked what is the greatest commandment Jesus answers with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: to love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Bible being the ultimate and only true source on authentic Christianity, it is where all should gather their thoughts on being a Christian. Yet, one cannot leave out the first part of Jesus’ answer which is to love the Lord your God. If it is true that “it does not matter if a god actually exists,” then why would Jesus, the author of Christianity, declare that loving Him with all of our being be the GREATEST commandment?
It seems downright ludicrous for Jesus to voice most importantly “love God,’’ if it did not matter if He exists, as long as we do the second command to love our neighbor which somehow now defines Christianity. One must not and cannot leave out the first and greatest commandment.
Mr. Norris rightly points out that Jesus asserted, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And isn’t that exactly what He did? Hallelujah!
God has such a great love for us that he humbled himself as a man becoming the ultimate sacrifice for our sin so we could be reconciled back into fellowship with a Holy God who created us. He conquered death by rising from the dead so not only do we live a joyful life with God on earth, but we live eternally with Him by accepting His precious gift to us.
As our love for God grows, we become more like Him. It is only through Him – the living, powerful and, yes, existing God – can we truly love our neighbor “for love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). And that, my friends, is Christianity.
Michelle Dye
Woodland
