What is the most important thing to know in life?
We’re excited to gather for “Big Chill” again this summer!
Each year we have a time of “devotion” – usually Sunday morning, but the time is flexible. And, as always, participation is optional.
This year, our devotion time will focus on one big question:
What is the most important thing to know in life?
We invite everyone to answer from your own perspective—whatever your faith, or worldview. All answers are welcome.
Why this theme and approach?
Our group includes people with different beliefs.
For context, studies show Americans are now about evenly split between:
- no participation in religion (Nones),
- traditional Christianity (Christians – Catholics, Protestants, etc.)
- other forms of professed Christian belief.(Christianity + those who add something to their Christian faith)
World-wide, there are now over 45,000 Christian denominations—variety is the norm..
In previous years, devotions have usually involved selected scripture and/or guided study—a more directed learning process. This year, we want to open things up . Share and explore one of life’s big questions.
And we all have needs. We may need help.
It’s said, “Those who are well don’t need help—the ones who are struggling do. I’m here for people who know they need change, not those who think they’ve got it all together.” This paraphrased quote, reflects the intent to help.
We hope this will help, just a little.
So, in our discussion we wish to:
How to Prepare
Think about the question:
What’s the most important thing to know in my life?
When you share your answer, try to support it with one or more of these:
- Personal Experience – Something from your life or from books, media, or culture
- Reason/Logic – Philosophical or theological reasoning
- Scripture – Examples from the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament
- Faith Tradition – Creeds, doctrines, or church practices
My Response as an example:
BTW – I’m kinda cheating as I have had time to prepare and think about this. Your response may be very different, and much shorter.
As a Christian, I believe the most important thing to know is “how to follow Jesus.”
First, I want to acknowledge some hesitation in saying, “I follow Jesus.” Nearly everyone who identifies as Christian says the same—and frankly, in today’s world, it can sound trite or hollow. But I hope what follows feels different. This comes from a deeply personal journey shaped not only by study, but also by spiritual trauma, mentoring, and therapy.
In recent years, I’ve pursued this path more intentionally, even enrolling in seminary. My aim has been to trace faith in God back to its roots—beginning with Judaism, then exploring Jesus himself: his teachings, his way of life, and the path he invited others to follow. After all, he came first as the Messiah (anointed savior) to the Jewish people, and then to the world.
From there, I turned to the early church, the original “people of the Way,” to understand how they lived out and recorded what it meant to follow Jesus.
I also began to study how and why Christianity changed—especially after it was co-opted by the Roman Empire in 313 AD, a turning point that profoundly reshaped the faith in ways that were and are still deeply troubling. Imagine Jesus inviting ‘Empire” in to co-lead God’s people.
I’ve since explored the progression of Christianity through history—from the corruption of the institutional church, to the Reformation, and into our modern moment where one can, with relative ease, create a new denomination among the 45,000+ already in existence worldwide.
This past year in seminary, we studied what’s called the Meta-Narrative of Christianity—an overarching story that connects the whole of Scripture and faith history. In this particular tradition (loosely called Neo-Anabaptism), I’ve encountered a Jesus-centric theology rooted in God’s infinite love, made most visible in the person of Jesus. It’s the same love that attracted me so many years ago at my conversion during college.
This has brought a renewal to my faith—rekindling something I hadn’t felt in years. In fact, it has given me a deeper sense of purpose and hope, not unlike the joy I experienced at my original conversion.
So, Let’s dive in.
Why Jesus?
My faith is centered on a Jesus-centric theology because:
- In Jesus, we see the fullness of God’s heart—compassionate, just, humble, forgiving, truthful, self-giving, and full of grace.
- He is not just a reflection of God, but God made known in human flesh—the clearest, fullest revelation of God in all of history.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” — Hebrews 1:3
Who Jesus Says I Am—and Who We Are
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
- Created in God’s image and likeness, declared “very good”
- Given life, rest, love, and a mission to care for creation
- Loved as God’s child, yet free to choose good or evil
- Responsible for our actions and capable of both beauty and harm
How Jesus Influences How I View the World
Through Jesus, I see the world as part of God’s kingdom, filled with hope, beauty, and grace—but also marred by evil and suffering, rooted in misused free will. I see evil as separate from God, and opposed by God in all cases.
In this tension, I trust that Jesus’ way is both true and transformative, and I live with hope in his mission to save us from evil – bring us fully into his kingdom..
How Jesus Influences How I Read Scripture
I begin with the Gospels and interpret all of Scripture through the lens of Jesus’ life, character, and teachings.
When parts of Scripture seem inconsistent with Jesus, I seek to read them with humility, culutural and historical awareness, and theological wisdom.
How Jesus Impacts How I Try to Live
Like the early church—called “people of the Way”—I aim to follow Jesus by:
- Helping those most in need: the poor, widow, orphan, oppressed, prisoner, and immigrant
- Resisting injustice and empire, as Jesus did—with love, not violence
- Choosing enemy-love, forgiveness, and humility over condemnation and power
What It Means for me to Follow Jesus
Following Jesus is not about religious performance, but about:
- Right-withness—living in right relationship with God and others – we often interpret “righteousness” as personal moral purity or rule-keeping. But in Scripture, righteousness is deeply relational – it’s not just about being personally upright, but about acting rightly toward others in love, humility, and hospitality.
- Embodied love—living with humility, justice, mercy, and truth
- Sacrificial service—rejecting power and privilege in favor of love
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23
Wow! Reading this back, it seems really hard. Have I bitten off more than I can chew?
So get ready
Be ready to share your answer and explain why you chose it. Let’s learn from each other’s perspectives!
You can prepare in any way that suits you—write something down, think about it ahead of time, or just reflect on the spot. The most important thing is to be ready to share what you believe is the most important thing to know in life.
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