feel inferior or ashamed over whatever knowledge of Jesus you may have. Fret not if you were unfamiliar with even the simple teaching of Jesus that, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The question is, Do you sense any need for him in your soul?
If you are fully resolved that your form or forms of immorality will be the guiding light of your meditations, if you celebrate your forays into godlessness, then questions about Jesus are of no consequence at this juncture in your life.
If, however, your resolve is uncertain, if your ability to celebrate is a bit tenuous or overwhelmingly hopeless, then perhaps Jesus or some other path to morality could touch your soul.
4.1
In these pages, the focus will be on meditation rooted in Jesus and God’s revelation to mankind in the Scriptures. Many resources abound with information about Jesus and other antidotes to immorality, such as counseling; self-help books and recordings; medications that are used in psychiatry; and Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and an array of other religious movements.
If you are struggling with immorality, some of these may prove irrelevant; some may deepen your emptiness or heighten the inner tumult; some may provide comfort or hope.
Because today’s culture, at least in North America and other parts of the world, is a mix of secularism, religious pluralism, sexuality, and self-absorption, it is understandable if a person dabbles with or earnestly explores any of these pathways.
These days, all religions are global. Their beliefs can be accessed via the Internet. Their followers are on every continent. No longer is any religion “odd” simply because it originated in a distant land. The viability of its beliefs and ideals about morality and how it might affect a person’s life can now be explored as never before.
4.2
What, then, about Jesus and the Christian faith that emerged from his life?
As with all religions, books have been written about God’s revelation through Jesus, including many texts devoted to the topic of morality and many on the topic of meditation. Houses of worship have been constructed. Leaders have been trained to teach its tenets.
Here in these pages, you are reading about morality from the standpoint of one writer’s thoughts and experiences within the Christian faith’s evangelical tradition, which places high value in Scripture as God’s revelation to mankind.
The word “evangelical” comes from the Greek language spoken at the time of Jesus as a way of describing his redemptive message as “the good news.”
When we receive good news in our daily lives, it can range from a mildly pleasant bit of information to, sometimes, a keen new awareness that may entail great joy.
If you are mired in immorality, you may not sense any “good news” when the name of Jesus is spoken or appears in print. Or you may feel something mildly pleasant in your soul or even great joy. You may be so empty or hopeless that all you can muster is a small measure of openness to hear more.
You alone know whether to close this book, even if temporarily, or continue reading.
4.3
At some point, you may have heard a Christian in the evangelical tradition suggest, or strongly declare, that Jesus is the only way to God. If this was done in an uncaring or arrogant manner, I am deeply saddened and I certainly apologize. No matter who you are, even if your struggle with immorality may be monumental, your humanity rises far above anyone’s insensitive or abusive words.
Yes, an uncaring or arrogant person may think he or she is well-meaning. Or such a person may be afflicted with self-righteousness. The person may even be saying something that indeed can be found in Scripture.
Your soul, however, is what matters most to God. Don’t let human insensitivity, so to speak, divert you from your first moments of divine encounter. As long as you may feel a tug to do so, continue meditating on the heart-nurturing words of Jesus, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
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