Miraj, thank you for your thoughts. Being a Christian is a very personal thing. It is very different from Islam with its certainties, rules and regulations. There are umpteen forms, and we don’t agree on every point. All it really requires is that you read the gospels and accept Jesus’ mission. How you understand that mission is pretty much up to you. Doctrines written by acknowledged experts exist to help Christians understand Jesus’ mission and guide them to it. You don’t have to accept all or any of them. They are secondary literature, they don’t have the same authority as Jesus’ life, words and work.
Jesus taught in parables because he wanted people to see beyond the outside, to an inner world of the Spirit where Reality was. He wanted to open the eye of the heart to the miraculous truth of Life that is hidden from us by the ‘hard heart, and the worldly mind’. It goes without saying that being a Christian isn’t easy. Most of us fail, most of the time, sadly.
Christianity is really a charismatic religion in which the dynamic agency of the Holy Spirit is very important. We believe that the Holy Spirit is present in all ages and can reach all men if only we open our hearts to God’s message as revealed by Jesus.
That’s why Jesus was against blindly following rules; he thought it took people away from the spirit of the law. Following rules in a blind empty way makes you a hypocrite; it is the inspiration that counts. Some people are uncomfortable with that, but others find it liberating. ‘The truth shall set you free’.
I can only advise you to read the Gospels for yourself and see if this strange and wonderful man’s life ‘speaks’ to you. If it does, then you are a Christian. Jesus said: ‘Seek and ye will find; ask and it shall be answered you’. What is essential is faith in him; ‘for unless ye believe, ye cannot understand’. Spiritual search is at the heart of Christianity – not being told what to do.
I know that’s tough, especially at first, but if you feel the inspiration of Jesus, you are guided, and you know what to do.
