I’ve always been fascinated by conversion stories, the moments of grace and truth that pull people out of themselves and into the romance of faith. Lauren Winner points out in an essay on staying Christian that learning about the great cannonball moments of people’s lives isn’t enough. Faith isn’t about watershed moments and voices from heaven—it’s a long, slow, subtle series of whispers and inklings and dried tears and rest.
I’ve mentioned briefly that my conversion happened in an awkward confession in middle school. But Lauren’s right: I’m not a Christian because I felt good about Jesus fifteen years ago. My life with Christ is constantly being nourished—and challenged—by the people and the worship and the beauty and the books and the music and the hardships of every day.
I am a Christian because this world shows me evidence of design and its beauty strikes me as gift.
I am a Christian because I’ve never yet found a better explanation for the empty tomb.
I am a Christian because every little thing I encounter tells me that this is true. I’ve read and researched and argued and I’m just convinced. As with most things, Chesterton said it best:
The difficulty of explaining “why I am a Catholic” is that there are ten thousand reasons all amounting to one reason: that Catholicism is true. I could fill all my space with separate sentences each beginning with the words, “It is the only thing that . . .” As, for instance, (1) It is the only thing that really prevents a sin from being a secret. (2) It is the only thing in which the superior cannot be superior; in the sense of supercilious. (3) It is the only thing that frees a man from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age. (4) It is the only thing that talks as if it were the truth; as if it were a real messenger refusing to tamper with a real message. (5) It is the only type of Christianity that really contains every type of man; even the respectable man. (6) It is the only large attempt to change the world from the inside; working through wills and not laws; and so on.
I am a Christian because I believe in goodness and I can’t for the life of me find any source of objective morality outside of God.
I am a Christian because there is nothing more still than the silence of the sanctuary. There’s a peace that’s almost tangible when Christ is present in a room. I’m too melancholic not to be convinced by the way his Real Presence calms my heart.
I am a Christian because by nature I am sullen and self-pitying but by grace I am filled with joy. Only God could break my shriveled heart and make it new in such a spectacular way.
I am a Christian because the embrace of Christ is the only place where I am completely known and even more completely loved. I fought for so long to be good enough and pretty enough and smart enough and then one day realized that I had been enough all along. When I see myself through his eyes, life is worth living. Otherwise, God help me.
I am a Christian because I know that I’m not good enough—he builds me up, strengthens and forgives me, and sends me into the world to do the impossible. And somehow I do.
By God’s grace, I love him more today than I did in the passionate throes of my adolescent conversion. Because love at first sight ain’t got nothing on decades of passionate faithfulness. Back then, he was exciting and intriguing; today, he’s everything.
What about you? Are you still coasting off a moment at God camp 30 years ago? Or does he strengthen your faith daily, as he does mine? I’d love to hear why you’re a Christian today.
Hi Meg,
Thank you so much for your beautiful website! Mary Ann forwarded it to me and I am enjoying it so much! You lovingly share your deeply convicted faith with words and ways that touch my heart and engage my spirit as you inspire and entertain me! I think our Father is delighted!! God bless you, sweet Meg.
Love,
Julie Wilson
I’m so glad you’re liking it, Julie! I’m hoping to be in Omaha in the fall–I can’t wait to see you 🙂 Congrats on Athanasius–you’re going to be an incredible Grandma!!
I am coming back to the Roman Catholic Church after attending some masses at a Benedictine Abbey and after making the decision to become an oblate. I was going to a United Church of Christ church and then to a Vineyard church. Both of these might represent two extremes of Christianity but I don’t think so. I also did not leave them because I found either lacking in faith and commitment to living in the light of God. I made the decision to return to the Roman Catholic tradition not becaus I think the Pope is infallible, or that I subscribe to orthodoxy (which is a necessary “evil”), or that it is the best church. I did it because I have spent the last few years immersing myself in the history and theology of Christian thought and it seemed to me, in my thoroughly non-academic, non-scholarly way, most of what this or that Protestant said or what is currently going on in the evangelical world, some mystic or theologian had the idea centuries before. Also, I admire the work of Catholics like Richard Rohr,. Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton to name a few and I figured if these visionaries can do it, why can’t I? That and the Benedictine monks and oblates are very cool in a nerdy kind of way. I am a social liberal and am more aligned with the more liberal groups of Catholics. I have taken bits and pieces of Protestant and Orthodox and Anglican thought and havce intergrated it into my own re-approach to being a Catholic. I am a Christian because I do not believe calling myself that means I better than anyone – not even anyone practicing another religion. I think all religions are true and think we all are children of the living God – though, I also have a non-theistic view of God. I detest any type of fundamentalism whether religious or non-religious. I believe in the unconditional love, grace, mercy, compassion and acceptance of God.
I am a Christian because it is my way of being human. Others can be as human too, under another banner (Buddhist, atheist, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) so I can only speak for myself and love everyone as my brother and sister of God.