What do you believe?

You know how some conversations are off limits at work? Well some conversations just need to take place, like the conversation I had yesterday. Yesterday I had one of my supervisor’s come and help me with a work related issue. After he helped in resolving the issue he asked this question. “So how’s your Easter weekend going? I mean if you celebrate”. I was slightly taken off guard by the latter of the question. This supervisor and I are “cool”. We talk about various topics with no issues, whether we agree or not, although we have never really spoke about religion, or our faith practices. This question opened the floor for something similar, but far deeper.

I answered, “Yes I celebrate, Resurrection Sunday not the commercialized aspect of “Easter”, but the resurrection of Christ.”

He responded “Okay so how do you feel about the dates not lining up?”

I said “Excuse me?”

He said “You know how they say Christmas is on the 25^th, but Jesus being born in the winter doesn't add up with what’s correct in terms of how it was described. Easter, who’s to say this, is the day that he rose from the dead, if he rose. How do we know if it happened on these days?”

I said, “Okay, I see were you are coming from. I’ve had people ask me this before. I don’t celebrate these events because of the particular the happened on. I celebrate because I believe Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, it doesn’t matter if it happened on December 25^th of not. IT happened and I’m celebrating his birth. Same for his resurrection, it happened, I don’t know the exact date, but it happened, so I’m celebrating the fact that Jesus, died for my sins and rose with all power. It’s just like our birthday’s, we don’t celebrate the exact day and time, but we take time out to acknowledge that yes we were born.”

He said “but check this out, how do you even know this happened.”

I said “Because it’s in the bible”

He said “The bible? That was written by people, how you know it wasn’t written by other people and just used to manipulate the masses”.

I said “They were witness to what was said and what happened. God helped them write the bible. The masses are manipulated because they don’t dig deeper for themselves.”

He started to shake his head, and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

I asked him “What do YOU believe?”

He said “I don’t believe in nothing, if I did I would lean more towards Muslim practices, I was raised muslim and they have a lot of good values and morals. See muslim’s I’m talking about the nation of Islam, the Malcom X, the Farrakahn, not the Afghanistan stuff. All these religions contradict themselves, Christianity, Catholics, buddists all of them. The bible and the Quarn are the most smiliar. We believe in the same God”

I said “I don’t know much about the Muslim religion, but to my understanding. You guys don’t see Jesus the way we see him. We see him as a part of the trinity, God in 3 persons (The father the son and the Holy Spirit) you guys just see him as a prophet, not the son of God, that’s not the same.”

He said “yea we see him as a prophet; he came and had prophecies, that’s what prophets do. Who’s to say he’s the son of God? Let me ask you something, why does the bible say swine is unclean, but Christians still eat it?”

I said” I’ll give you my perspective on my faith and not this commercialized version of what it means to be a Christian. This is about my relationship with God. Jesus died and now I have access to God personally. I don’t have to worry about being manipulated by preachers or people, because I have the Holy Spirit and I get understandings from him. I eat pork whenever I feel like it. I’m not going to hell if I do, and God’s not mad at me if I do. I choose to believe God and his word in the bible. I have faith in him and what he said, and what he has done in my life.”

He said “Well I’m not waiting around having faith and hoping something is true. I don’t have to go to church to worship, and I don’t have to listen to a preacher to get understanding. If I need to understand something, I’m going to go to someone I trust and think is wise. Like, why does the the good die young?”

I said “I agree, I don’t have to go to church, but I was raised in the church, my father was a preacher, church was all I knew. When I got older I researched it for myself and I choose to put my faith in God. I choose to believe Jesus, and I choose to go to church. It’s all a choice. The "good" die young for various reasons, and reasons no one will know. This happen, but if they didn't happen other things couldn't happen. I just trust God.”

By this time, my manager sent me a little message on my computer asking me to get back to work. (In a nice way lol)

That’s how the conversation ended although he said we would “finish up later”.

(A girl next to me said, I’m sorry, I was listening to yall’s conversation, and I understand what you mean about having a relationship with God. Only people with a relationship with him will understand what that truly means)

I will admit, this conversation wasn't planned, at least not on my end. I don’t go around work lining hymns, nor do I slam my big bible on my desk for all to see. I've only spoken to a few people at work about my faith because they ask. I don’t go around trying to debate or argue the bible, because the bible doesn't need to be debated. It is what it is.

I told my mom about this conversation and she said “That’s what letting your light shine will do. You may not talk about God all day at work, but your light is shining and it’s drawing others to want to know more.” That’s so true, I’m not here to convert anyone, that’s not my job(it's the Holy Spirit's job), but if I can “plant a seed”, or “get the soil ready for a seed to be planted”, then that’s alright with me.

Conversations like these are healthy. Neither one of us raised our voice or talked over one another. We spoke and listened and hopefully learned from one another. I know conversations like these help me learn about myself, the way I handle myself when being put on the spot as a representer of Christ.

Many people are losing their lives because they believe in Christ, let us continue to be unashamed and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rest in Peace to those students in Kenya, that were killed for their belief in Christ.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

Destaynee