Why Christianity is Worth Holding Onto
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In a world where faith is often challenged by doctrinal disputes and theological uncertainties, Christianity remains an enduring source of hope, love, and transformation. While difficult questions about exclusive salvation and divine wrath have led some to reconsider their faith, Christianity offers something deeper than mere dogma—it offers a lived experience of divine love, a tradition of solidarity in suffering, and a profound call to unity. While other religions often describe God in abstract terms or as a distant force, Christianity presents a God who walks among us.
A Faith Rooted in Love and Relationship
God is vast, mysterious, and beyond full human comprehension. "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (Colossians 1:15) In Jesus, we are given a tangible face to that mystery. His life and actions serve as a window into the heart of God, helping us to grasp, even in part, the divine love that transcends understanding. As stated in John 14:9: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus embodies a love that is radical and inclusive. He walked among us, healed the broken, forgave the sinner, and surrendered His life in an ultimate act to reveal His love - not as an act of atonement. Christianity is not just a set of beliefs—it is an invitation to follow the person of Christ and to live out His love in the world.
A God Who Enters Our Suffering
Christianity does not promise an escape from suffering but instead presents a God who enters into it. Unlike belief systems that encourage detachment, Christianity affirms that suffering is real and that God is present in it. Jesus, as Emmanuel—"God with us"—experienced hunger, exhaustion, betrayal, and even the depths of human despair. If you’ve ever felt abandoned, so did Jesus. If you’ve ever cried out, “Why, God?” so did Jesus: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) His crucifixion was not an act of divine wrath but of divine solidarity; He took on suffering to show that God is not an indifferent ruler but a compassionate Savior who walks with us in our pain. There is no suffering we experience that God does not understand. More than just understanding, God is present in our suffering.
The Pattern of Death, Transformation, and Resurrection
The Christian story is one of transformation. The Paschal Mystery—Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again—reveals that all of creation follows a sacred rhythm: death, transformation, and renewal. Nature itself mirrors this truth: seeds must be buried before they grow, the sun must set before it rises, and winter must pass before spring arrives. So too in our lives—loss can lead to new beginnings, suffering can bring wisdom, and surrender can lead to rebirth.
This divine pattern was echoed in the story of Jonah, who spent three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish. Jonah’s descent into the fish symbolized death, his three days inside represented waiting and transformation, and his return to dry land prefigured resurrection and renewed purpose. Jesus was so passionate about the truth in this divine pattern that he declared to those demanding any other type of sign: “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39; Luke 11:29)
Before our big death, there will be many smaller deaths along the way—losing a job, health issues, losing loved ones, being betrayed, recognizing our own shadows, and the list goes on. These mini deaths help us to be "crucified with Christ," letting go of our ego, our false selves, and our attachments in order to experience true transformation – living from our true essence. Then, like Paul, we will be able to proclaim, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
Jesus Himself spoke of this divine pattern that St. Augustine later called The Paschal Mystery: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Jesus' resurrection was not just a miraculous event but the ultimate fulfillment of this sacred pattern. Christianity teaches that suffering (our mini deaths) and our final death do not have the final word—resurrection does!
"Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)
Deconstruction and Reconstruction of our Faith
The pattern of death, transformation, and resurrection isn’t just a grand theological concept—it’s the blueprint for personal growth. Every meaningful transformation requires some form of loss, pain, or uncertainty. That’s why questioning our faith, and the discomfort that comes with it, is not a sign of failure but a necessary part of the process.
We often begin with a faith that serves us well, a framework that feels secure and answers our biggest questions. But as we grow, life happens—experiences, knowledge, and encounters challenge our assumptions. When our old way of understanding God no longer makes sense, we enter a season of deconstruction. This can feel disorienting, even painful, but it is not the end of faith—it is an invitation to something deeper.
During this process, we are not meant to discard everything, but rather to sift through and discern. Some elements of our faith remain vital and foundational, while others may need to be let go. This is the process of transcending and including (an integral theory as articulated by theorist Ken Wilber)—we move beyond certain beliefs, not by rejecting them outright, but by integrating the deeper truths they point to in new and expanded ways.
Reconstruction is about embracing a faith that has been refined by experience, one that is not simply inherited but deeply owned. It is a faith that is both resilient and expansive, one that allows room for mystery, growth, and ongoing transformation. The process of questioning and rebuilding is not a betrayal of our faith—it is, in fact, the way we make it stronger and more authentic.
A Call to Unity and Reconciliation
One of Jesus' final prayers before His crucifixion was for unity: "That they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you" (John 17:21). Christianity calls its followers not to division, but to a unity that transcends human differences. Paul reminds us that, in Christ, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
Paul was the master at teaching us that each of us get to participate and be part of something much bigger than ourselves: "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:4-5) By coming together, we are all essential to the collective cause.
Therefore we are called to break the cycles of division and scapegoating. Throughout time, people have looked for someone to blame—whether it was the “other” group, the outsiders, or even their own brothers and sisters in faith. But Jesus, the ultimate scapegoat, broke that system once and for all. His unity with the Father is meant to be the model for our unity with one another.
Unity does not mean uniformity. It means embracing the diversity of thought and experience while remaining anchored in love. It means choosing kindness over conflict, grace over judgment, and reconciliation over division. It looks like embracing mystery rather than demanding certainty. It looks like being willing to sit at the same table with those we don’t understand, just as Jesus did over and over again.
The Incarnation: A Divine Plot Twist
For some reason, the Incarnation doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves in Christian discussions, but once you dive into it, you realize—it’s the plot twist that changes everything. We all know Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, fully divine and fully human, and yes, that’s a mind-bender. But here’s where it gets even more thrilling: the first Incarnation wasn’t just Jesus—it was creation itself. "The Word became flesh …." (John 1:14). This means that God is not far away but intimately present in creation, in humanity, and even within us. "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).
What does this mean? It means we aren’t separate from God—we never were. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17) It means the material world isn’t some broken thing to escape from but something inherently sacred. And most mind-blowingly, it means that our journey isn’t about climbing some spiritual ladder to get to God—it’s about waking up to the God who is already here.
The Incarnation means that God is not distant—God is intimately involved in every moment of our lives. Just as He walked among us in the person of Jesus, He continues to be present in our joys and struggles. Consider the way Jesus reached out to the outcasts, healed the broken, and calmed the storms—both on the sea and in people’s hearts. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) This is the promise of the Incarnation: God is not watching from a distance but living among us, within us, and through us.
Conclusion: A Faith Worth Holding Onto
Christianity is not about rigid doctrinal adherence or theological perfection—it is about love, transformation, and unity. It is a faith that acknowledges suffering but does not succumb to despair. It is a faith that calls us to relationship, to community, and to a deeper understanding of ourselves and God.
Yes, there are difficult doctrines, and yes, interpretations vary. But at its core, Christianity offers something profoundly hopeful: a God who loves beyond measure, a Christ who walks with us in suffering, and a Spirit that unites us in an eternal embrace. No matter what doubts arise or challenges emerge, the promise of resurrection remains: darkness does not last forever, and resurrection and love will always have the final word.
