Jesus Remains.

My Facebook memories are punctuated with all the ups and downs of my spiritual journey.  Little time capsules capture my state of mind and my state of heart.  Over the last few years, starting Pre-Covid but accelerated by the lockdown, I have drifted from the "church".  Although I'm not interested in the labels of "Deconstruction", I clearly have a lot in common with a whole movement of folks leaving the Church.  But I am not deconstructing my faith, rather it is because of my faith that I have looked at American Christian Culture and decided I can no longer participate.  It is because I still cling to the love and acceptance of Jesus that I have shed my adherence to church-life.  That leaves me in a state of comfortable uncertainty.  I know nothing.  Through it all, Jesus remains.  And as I read through all my old posts, I am pleased to see a consistent surrender to him.  I did try my hand at theology, dogma and apologetics.  Much of my writing and metaphors are muddled and circular.  But I find comfort that after periods of perpetual doubt and examination: Jesus Remains.  I am trying to pry my image of Jesus from the religion of my youth and the churches of my re-birth.  I hope to remove the constraints of what teachers and preachers and religion imposed on God.  We attempt to make God accessible, yet we end up making God small.  I want to let my heart experience God in the grandness that belief in him would require.  If they are who they say they are, for now and for always Jesus will remain.  

I close with the theology of Kimberly Hodges. "When I heard the stories as a child and read that Jesus loves everyone, I just accepted that that meant everyone."