Article October 3, 1988 Issue

What does it take to be a Christian?

The Christian Science Monitor

As a young child I loved to sing, "Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart." I didn't know the meaning of the words, but I could tell that it embarrassed my older brother to hear me. That made me curious about what being a Christian is, and my frequent questions were answered with "It means going to church, believing in God, and being nice."

Is that all it takes? Would that kind of religious practice solve the challenges posed by a burgeoning population, by the spoiling of natural resources, by hunger and loneliness? Is it even possible to practice Christianity in a way that will help lessen those difficulties?

Yes it is, but we must go beyond confessions of faith, attendance at church, and general good conduct if that is all Christianity has meant to us in the past.

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