Editorial: Jesus Persists
I was reflecting recently on how my relationship with Jesus has changed since I left my childhood faith. Though I no longer believe all of the things from my Seventh-day Adventist childhood (I confess, I do not attend church anymore), I have found that Jesus has persisted in my life.
I have always loved Jesus. I loved Jesus when I was in the cradle. But I find that I didn’t fall in love with Jesus until after my departure from the church.
It turns out that Jesus is even more relevant to my life post-Adventist than he was before. And with the way things are going in the United States right now, the life and teachings of Jesus are becoming more relevant by the day.
Jesus asks me to love my enemies. He asks me to elevate the poor, the weak, the widows and the orphans. Jesus tells me to walk in someone else’s shoes. He tells me I will reap what I sow. He says that the earth belongs to the meek and the peacemakers. He was so radically non-violent that he allowed himself to be led to a famously gruesome death with no fight, no defense.
Jesus’s followers were so moved by him that they started a religion that emphasized collaboration, giving of oneself, and helping the world.
That’s a person worth following. I don’t claim to understand everything Jesus said, or to live his teachings perfectly. But I sure do try. And in a society determined to de-humanize so many people, in a world with so much fear, who else do we need but a man who says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27)?
Thank you, Jesus. I could use a little bit of that peace right now.
Lindsey Abston Painter
Writer/Editor, Adventist Today Magazine & Website
22 February 2025
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