Jesus 201: His Relevance and Calling
Photograph: A painting, The Baptism of the Christ, by Daniel Bonnell, called The Baptism of the Christ. Used with permission. It represents the beginning and the end of Christ’s ministry: The Baptism relates to the Crucifixion because it represents a dying and rising. The original is in Saint George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem. This version hangs in a humble and small African-American Church in South Carolina. Another version hangs in the Mayo Clinic entrance in Minnesota. Daniel Bonnell teaches art to at-risk inner city high school students.
If you’re getting to know Jesus, exploring why he is real and important, here are some resources below that can help.
Where is God in Pain, Especially Mine?
Text and slides of message about God being not behind your pain, with you in your pain, and ahead of your pain pulling you through it. A 15 minute read.
Weird Coincidences, Supernatural Events, Funny Feelings - Is That You God?
A message about experiencing unusual things, and how to interpret them. A 15 minute read.
The Role of Jesus in Revolution and the Pursuit of Justice
A written message, graphics included, on how Jesus inspired twentieth-century non-violent resistance movements around the world, and why. Spotlights Tolstoy in Russia; Gandhi in South Africa and India; Ahn Chang-ho in Korea; the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.; the Filipino People Power Revolution; Solidarity in Poland; the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa; the Women’s Movement and Liberia’s Civil War. This is a shining thread of moral clarity, courage, and hope during humanity’s bloodiest century. A 15 - 20 minute read.
A written message and slides on how Jesus brought about a radical change to human history. Christian faith brought about dramatic improvements in health care and hospitals, abolition, education and schools, science and technology, criminal justice reform, and beauty and the arts. A 15 - 20 minute read.
Text of a message that reflects on our desire for love, meaning, and justice. A 15 - 20 minute read. Where do these desires come from? Are they connected to the God who reveals Himself in Jesus Christ? This might be called the “problem of goodness,” specifically human goodness. This was the first of three messages at a retreat. The second was God's Victory Over Human Evil in Jesus — the text of a message from Romans 6:1 - 11 about how Jesus’ death and resurrection was the way he triumphed over the corruption of sin in the human nature he took on, and how we die and rise with Jesus to share in that victory. The third was God's Victory Over Human Evil: Presenting Ourselves to Jesus, from Romans 6:12 - 14 about how we are to live with Jesus, and for Jesus, by his Spirit, to implement his victory over human evil into our lives more deeply. For more on this, see How Our Choices Shape Our Desires: Experiencing the Triune God, the text of a message on Genesis 1 - 2 and Proverbs 2 leading into questions for reflection and/or discussion. The message was given to students at Boston College, and reflects the concerns to discern God’s will as far as vocation and career and major are concerned. See also our section on Desire: Jesus Leads Us to True Beauty if you enjoy these topics.