Amanda: Christianity

One of the things I found most interesting in our discussion on Christianity thus far is the latin term “Felix Culpa.” We talked about this translated into English as “happy fault of original sin” which was explained through human ability to experience the grace of God after the fall. This stuck out to me the most in our discussion because we had spent so much time prior to this talking about Jewish law, and the strict rules of society which pertained to behavior in the synagogue, communication between men and women, the role of women in religion, dietary restrictions, etc. and yet, these Latin words praise the introduction of sin into the world. I understand the explanation of this term, and the importance of this in the Christian faith, yetcan’t help but wonder how insane the Jews must’ve thought these Christians were! And yet, I myself can not deny the attraction and pull towards the life and story of Jesus, but the context of His life is so far beyond my reach and my comprehension.

This leads to my next main thought about our first class discussions on the beginnings of Christianity, and the perspective of the culture at the time. For example, if I was to put myself in the shoes of the woman at the well, I would probably fetch water during the day, without all the other women because I was ostracized from society to begin with. Then to have any man, let alone a Jewish man, speak to me in public would be considered bizarre, but to have the Son of God himself!…I can not fathom how crazy this must have seemed, and how great an act of love this would have been. We then learn that Jesus knew she was a Samaritan who had many husbands before, and was now with a man out of wedlock, yet instead of turning away from her, He reveals who He is to her.

The next idea of focus I had is on the general ideas and beliefs which set Christianity as a whole very far away from the other Religions of the world. Although it is quite evident that the focus on love rather than law or ritual is a primary factor, the form in which the figure of Jesus exercises his ability to love is what is truly unique. The non-verbal acts of Jesus are what capture me the most, and draw me into paying attention to his words. His actions also emphasize his human qualities, rather than a God that just speaks in parables leaving room open to interpretation and misinterpretation, Jesus actually lived and breathed among us. Not only did he walk on earth, He was the revolutionary behind destroying social norms… what an even more exciting thought!

A prime example of this is shown in the parable about Jesus and the man with Leprosy. The man asks Jesus to heal him if it is His will, and what does Jesus do? He reaches out and touches him. He touched him! A man that probably hadn’t had contact with another human being for years, was touched by the Son of God. Only after Jesus touched him, did He heal him. First, he shows his love and compassion with this action, His touch, then he shows his power and majesty, by healing the man. Only after this does Jesus verbalize to him, “see that you don’t tell anyone, But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift of Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” (Matthew 8:4). As if His example wasn’t enough, Jesus then specifically tells him not to speak to them, but to show them what had happened through his faith.
The power of example is far greater than power alone, even if that power is infinitely beyond human comprehension.