Over time, I've discovered that truly following the words of Jesus—His actual words in Scripture—is not only transformative, it's the purest way to live a life of faith.
Not Christianity as a cultural identity. Not Christianity as a tribal marker. Not Christianity as a set of propositions to be defended.
But the actual words. The actual teachings. The actual way of life that Jesus modeled and invited others into.
What Jesus Actually Said
When I strip away the centuries of interpretation, the institutional accretions, the political uses and misuses, and go back to the actual words of Jesus in the Gospels, I find something that consistently surprises me.
He talks about money more than almost anything else—and almost always in ways that challenge the wealthy and comfort the poor.
He talks about the Kingdom of God—a present reality, not just a future hope—that operates by completely different rules than the kingdoms of this world.
He talks about love—not as a feeling, but as a practice. Love of neighbor. Love of enemy. Love that crosses every boundary his culture had erected.
He talks about prayer—not as a performance, but as a conversation. *When you pray, go into your room and shut the door.*
He talks about the inner life—the heart, the intention, the hidden motivations that drive our visible behavior.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is, for me, the center of it all.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek.
These are not descriptions of the successful. They are not a prosperity gospel. They are a complete inversion of every value the world holds dear.
You have heard it said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
This is not a nice sentiment. It is a radical, costly, world-overturning command.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
The Difficulty
I want to be honest: following these words is hard.
Not because they are unclear. They are remarkably clear.
But because they cut against almost everything our culture tells us is important.
Success. Security. Status. Self-protection.
Jesus seems almost indifferent to all of these.
What he cares about is love. Justice. Presence. The interior life. The treatment of the vulnerable.
An Invitation
I am not interested in Christianity as a label. I am interested in it as a life.
And the life it points to—the life Jesus modeled and taught—is one of radical love, radical generosity, radical presence, and radical trust.
It is not easy. But it is, I believe, the most fully human way to live.
And it is available to anyone who is willing to take the words seriously.
Not as a formula. Not as a ticket to heaven.
But as a way of being in the world.