The other day I shared why the Solemnity of Corpus Christi means so much to me. In that post I talked about how there are so many teachings in Christianity. There are groups of Christians who think drinking is wrong. Another group may not have a problem with drinking, but Harry Potter and My Little Pony are from the devil. Others hold to teachings that say you are not a Christian unless you believe this doctrine or that doctrine.
But not all of these can be right.
It reminds me of Bruce Almighty when the character played by Jim Carrey was given the chance to be the Almighty for a day. Overwhelmed by all the prayer requests, he went on the computer and replied “yes” to all of them. It caused utter pandemonium. The streets were chaotic and the world was rioting.
I’m thinking if every doctrine taught in all the denominations were true, heaven would be empty.
There would be no one in heaven at all because by the time you’ve satisfied one denomination’s requirements, you’ve likely failed another’s. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve taken our denominational distinctives and treated them like the very gates of heaven. We’ve built so many fences around Christianity that we can no longer see Christ standing in the middle of it.
I remember back when I was Protestant. Siafa and I, boyfriend and girlfriend at the time, went to a service where they laid hands on people to receive the gift of speaking in tongues. We knew what the service was about and were eager to receive all that God had for us.
So Siafa eagerly got in line as a new Christian.
When the pastor got to him, trying to invoke the presence of God by pressing his head with force, everybody was shouting and the room was in an uproar of praise and worship. After several minutes with nothing happening, the pastor whispered in Siafa’s ear, “Just repeat after me.”
Siafa’s first thought was, If I repeat after you, then it’s not from the Holy Spirit.
He left that night with a broken heart. He believed that God would do it, but He didn’t. He wondered what it meant that He didn’t.
Despite the Bible saying that love is the highest gift from God, in some circles the gift of tongues can become so central that people begin to wonder whether they are truly Christian without it.
That would mean the tens of thousands who died without that ability didn’t make it into heaven.
Wow.
Heaven must be less crowded than I thought.
For centuries Christians have argued about baptism, communion, predestination, tongues, church government, worship styles, end times, and a thousand other things.
But when I read the ancient creeds, I find myself drawn back to the center.
I believe in Jesus Christ.
The Son of God.
Born of the Virgin Mary.
Crucified under Pontius Pilate.
Died.
Buried.
Risen.
Ascended.
Coming again.
This is where the road stops for me.
After years of arguing doctrines, I’ve become less interested in drawing smaller and smaller circles around who belongs to Christ and more interested in Christ Himself.
As C.S. Lewis wrote,
“The central Christian belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.”
Somehow.
Lewis, one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the twentieth century, was comfortable leaving room for mystery there.
I am too.
Truly, if salvation rests on Christ, then there is hope for all of us.
Including me.
If this post spoke to you…
Share it with someone who might need it, too. Whether it’s a quiet encouragement or a new way of seeing things, these reflections are meant to be passed along.
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Martina Griffin is a Catholic convert, writer, wife, and mother of four. She writes about faith, motherhood, beauty, books, and the quiet ache of transformation. A lover of popcorn, deep questions, and old classics, she shares her heart at Big Bowl of Popcorn—one post at a time. Instagram | Facebook | Email Me |
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