:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

What makes Christianity unique and worthwhile?

I’ve been asking this question over and over to myself. So far I have two answers.

The first is the divine intervention of God in our world. By this I mean the power of salvation, the indwelling of the Spirit, the visible action of God in our world (healings, etc.), and the miracle that is prayer.

It all boils down to our saving relationship with God. If we do not hold to the fact that we can speak with God and he can answer and act in our world, then I can’t imagine Christianity doing a whole lot of good besides keeping some very sentimental people busy for hours on end.

Secondly, Christian history is another key strength. We have a history of martyrs who suffered persecution and even with all of our schisms, wars, and arguments, Christianity hasn’t changed all that much.

Please stop laughing. I mean that. Until the liberal scholarship crack-up, Christianity generally held to the Lordship of Christ, the role of the trinity, the authority of the Bible, and so forth.

Christianity has changed drastically over the years, but the Orthodox particulars have not changed so much that the vast majority of Christian congregations today can recite a creed from the late 4th Century CE without blushing. That has to count for something.

I’m not saying there hasn’t been tumult and controversy. We have had our fair share, as do most religions. Nevertheless, the core of Christianity and the message of the Gospel has somehow endured no matter how hard we try to have it our own way. God’s way always wins out. Christianity, church, history, faith