Written by Guest Author
(Read Mark 12)
My mother-in-law wasn’t afraid of anything, not even cancer that took her life prematurely. She was a passionate follower of Jesus, an optimistic and sometimes outspoken force to be reckoned with, and a beautiful representation of living life to the fullest. I didn’t meet her until my wife and I were dating midway through college, and she passed away eight short years after that. During this time, we had some amazing times and some lively conversations.
Once, while learning to windsurf on vacation, she kept insisting that I ask this expert surfer out there for tips. First of all, I’m a man; I’m not asking for advice. Secondly, she’s my Mother-in-law, I can’t let her win this battle. Thirdly, I wanted to figure it out on my own. In hindsight, asking for help would have been a better approach. The point is, she told me, “It doesn’t hurt to ask. You’ll never know if you don’t.”
Faith conversations are an area that should be handled with kindness, grace, and love. It’s delicate turf. Heartfelt feelings surrounding one’s faith beliefs isolate this topic of conversation along with politics. Everyone knows the adage, don’t talk about religion or politics. I stay away from the political arena, but not from talking about God. In my mind, we have daily opportunities to talk with family, friends, and even strangers about faith and Jesus. I caught up with my oldest brother a few weeks ago on this topic, which we rarely discuss.
My brother (D) couldn’t recall the first time he had heard about Jesus, but he believed it was in Sunday School. The version of Jesus we get in early Christian ed is one where Jesus has long flowing hair, pats bunnies, and is always holding a cuddly lamb over His shoulders. Of course, you can’t talk about the wrath of God or Jesus talking about tying a millstone around someone’s neck or throwing tables over in the temple to young children. When I asked (D) what his favorite Hymn or Christian song is, without hesitation he said, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is Risen Today — verse 1 by Charles Wesley
The hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” was first sung during the very first service at the original Wesleyan Chapel in London in 1739. It was initially published with eleven 4-line stanzas. However, the joyful “alleluias” at the end of each line, which are now an integral part of the hymn, were not written by Wesley. They were added later to adapt the text to the melody of “Easter Hymn,” a tune published anonymously in Lyra Davidica in 1708. Can you imagine the song without the Alleluia’s?! Alleluiah comes from the Hebrew “hallelujah” meaning “Praise God,” so the first verse is Christ the Lord is risen today, praise God. Wow!
(D) said he liked this Hymn “Because it’s stirring.” I concur. Charles Wesley, an English Anglican cleric and prolific hymnwriter, wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime and penned this masterpiece in 1739. While we can’t attribute the musical composer of the Hymn, both lyrics and melody eloquently mirror the glory of Christ’s final triumph over death.
I wonder if my brother realized that song held a special place in Mom’s heart, too. Even though she wasn’t religious, she’d get goosebumps listening to it. To me, the hymn isn’t just an emotional display; it faithfully reflects something far more spectacular, beautiful, and epic. What I also love about the song is the timelessness of the title and message. He “is risen today,” is like Jesus calling Himself the great “I AM.” Past, present, and future. Jesus didn’t just rise from the tomb 2,000 years ago; He is still risen today, and will still be risen from tomorrow. Without getting into the evolution or intelligent design debate, some scientists, claim the universe is about 13.8 billion years old and may continue to exist for another 22 billion years. Jesus will still be risen from the tomb.
“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee.”
Luke 24:6
This verse is part of the resurrection narrative in the Gospel of Luke. It takes place on the first day of the week (Sunday) when several women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, visited Jesus’ tomb with spices to anoint His body, where they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two angels appeared and delivered this powerful message: “He is not here; he has risen!” It’s remarkable that God entrusted women with the initial revelation of the empty tomb, signaling Jesus’ resurrection to the world. Women were deemed unreliable in 1st Century Judea and not permitted to testify in court. But the cornerstone of the Christian faith is sitting on this testimony.
The angels reminded the women of Jesus’ own words from Galilee, where He repeatedly predicted His suffering, death, and resurrection (Luke 9:22, Luke 18:31-33). Jesus’ risen state underscored the reliability and truthfulness of Jesus’ words and our tendency to forget spiritual truths when overwhelmed by grief or doubt.
The resurrection is not just a historical event but a theological pillar that validates the deity and mission of Jesus. Without the resurrection, the Apostle Paul stated, faith would be futile (1 Corinthians 15:14). The empty tomb proves that Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted by God and that our sins were paid for once and for all.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31
I asked (D), if he could think of a verse of the Bible that stuck in his mind. He quoted the second part of Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If anyone in my family or my circle of friends embodies this command, it’s (D.) I’m not saying he’s not direct and a little curmudgeon sometimes — he is. He’s a New Yorker. When visiting NYC, he admonishes me about making eye contact and engaging with strangers. If you knew him, you would know the giant heart he has. Heart for compassion. Heart for giving. Heart for love. (D) remembers everything and is one of the most generous people I know.
My brother referenced a passage where Jesus summarized the Mosaic Law with two key commandments: love God fully (Deuteronomy 6:5) and love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). Most people who aren’t deeply familiar with the Bible skip over the part about loving God and only the most narcissistic people in the world don’t embody the belief about loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Loving our neighbor, in some ways, is similar to loving God. We are all God’s children, so by loving each other, we love the Creator who made us. This conversation between Jesus and a law teacher is an essential lesson for all humans. Who knows better than our Divine God what is good for us individually and communally? This love is active and practical—it involves serving, helping, encouraging, and showing compassion. For those who don’t believe in God, even they see the benefits of this behavior for a civilized society.
But it goes much deeper than this. Love for others is a natural outflow of loving God. There is an inseparable link between love for God and love for people. Jesus placed both commands on equal footing, showing that one cannot be fulfilled without the other. Faith and love are inseparable: You cannot truly love God without loving others, and loving others flows from genuine love for God.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:5-6
“Yes, I do pray,” (D) said. “Quietly and also while at AA,” he added. I was encouraged but not surprised for him to admit this. (D) has trusted in the AA process for many years. One of their sayings, “Let Go and Let God, “encourages surrendering control and trusting in a Higher Power.” My brother is transparent, introspective, grounded, and in touch with his inner core. It’s apparent to me that his praying connects him to our higher power, providing honest communication without restrictions. Rather than confession, it’s a conversation.
When he was having heart surgery a few years back, my wife and I prayed fervently for him and we told him so. He thanked us. I don’t know why I didn’t ask him if we could pray together. I have always regretted this. It might have been awkward because we’ve never prayed together before, but who cares? There was something much more important at stake.
I believe (D) said that he prays quietly was pointing me to the opposite of hypocritical prayer. Jesus warned against praying like hypocrites who make a show of their spirituality. The Greek word for “hypocrites” originally referred to actors on a stage, implying that these people were performing a role rather than genuinely seeking God. Well, (D) is an actor, and I think this portrayal hits home. Religious hypocrites pray publicly with the motive of being seen and admired by others. God sees the unseen. God is aware of true motives and private devotions, which are invisible to others.
My conversation with (D) left me hopeful and encouraging, not just because he prays but also because of his belief in Heaven. “I’d like to believe in Heaven. I’m just unsure what it’s like or how one gets there,” he said. I gently used this as an opening for a follow-up question to keep the conversation going.
“How do you think people get to Heaven?” I asked.
“By living a good life, being kind to others, and having a good loving relationship with God. I guess.” While I don’t know the extent of (D)’s religious involvement, his response offered a glimpse into a possible desire for a more intimate relationship with God.
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
In today’s world, most people who believe Heaven exists think of good works and moral living as entrance requirements. Legalistic religious people believe that rituals and observances are required. Progressive people believe that everyone goes there because a loving God wouldn’t condemn anyone to Hell.
The Bible teaches that entry into Heaven is solely based on a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, not by any effort or good works on our part. I love my siblings dearly. Sadly, I don’t have a close spiritual relationship with any of them. My sister and I once worshipped together on Christmas Eve and on Maundy Thursday. Through ski trips, road races, hospital visits, and thousands of phone calls, (D) and I have shared a lifetime of experiences. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but I long for the day when we can go to church together—to worship and share in Communion. Maybe the first step is to start in prayer.
Since I became a believer, I have hesitated to discuss Faith, God, and Jesus with him. The most awesome part is that we now have some common ground to build upon, but “You never know if you don’t ask.”
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6
Key Applications:
How do you talk to others about God?
- Build genuine relationships and show authentic love.
- Be a good listener. Take time to understand their story, struggles, and beliefs before sharing your own.
- It’s Not All on You. Remember that it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts and changes hearts, not your eloquence.