Seeking meaning in faithful connections
Seeking meaning in faithful connections
Reflections on faith, theology, and finding authentic connection in a world overwhelmed by noise and distractions
A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in,
A minute to smile and an hour to weep in,
A pint of joy to a peck of trouble,
And never a laugh but the moans come double;
And that is life!
A crust and a corner that love makes precious,
With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us;
And joy seems sweeter when cares come after,
And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter;
And that is life!—Paul Laurence Dunbar, Life
Lately, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about what it really means to connect in an online space.
The paradox is striking: we’re so connected, and yet the feeling of isolation never quite goes away.
I've been trying to make something meaningful out of Substack—you know, following other writers, subscribing to authors I admire, commenting, liking, and sharing. The usual drill.
But it feels like my expectations sometimes get in the way.
I keep wanting immediate results, and then I remember that, like anything worth building, this takes time.
It’s like collecting materials for a project, gathering the right tools, and putting in the work to shape something out of nothing.
Maybe you’ve been there too—starting something and realizing that creation takes patience?
Revisiting Theology: The Waters of Christian Theology
Recently, I’ve been returning to previous articles, revising them, and publishing new articles based off the insights I can see with my current perspective.
The Waters of Christian Theology was an article I published as a metaphorical journey traveling through the ocean of Christian theology.
I had explored the figure of Jesus Christ, the concept of the Trinity , and the divine journey of faith, using an analogy of a ship navigating through deep waters.
It started with a quote from N.T. Wright’s Simply Jesus, which ties back to Ephesians 1:231: "which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all (KJV)."
The passage paints this beautiful picture of Christ as the head of the Church, His body: the Church embodies Christ, and He fills everything with His divine presence.
It’s a rich, compelling metaphor that speaks to the heart of spiritual unity and purpose.
The Trinity: An Intellectual Exploration
The idea of the Trinity always leaves me both fascinated and a little bewildered.
The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit—three in one.
It’s an intellectual marvel.
For me, the best way to understand it right now is through this analogy: imagine God the Father as an eternal tree that has always existed; Jesus is like a seed from that tree, destined to grow and bring forth new life; and the Holy Spirit is the sunlight, water, and wind that nourish and carry that seed.
They each have distinct roles, but they’re all part of the same natural system.
Together, they create life, sustain it, and give it meaning.
It's amazing, isn't it?
But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder—why do I think the Trinity is an analogy?
The Historical Jesus: Evidence Beyond Scripture
Did Jesus really exist?
I think so, and I’m not alone in this.
Although I don’t identify as a Christian, my upbringing was surrounded by Catholicism and Lutheranism, and it’s definitely shaped my conclusions on the subject.
There was a time in my life when I was agnostic, even atheistic (as these are both not mutually exclusive), and I researched tirelessly on the subject for quite some time.
Outside of the Christian Bible and manuscript evidence, there is historical evidence through the writings of others which paints a picture of Jesus as a real person2.
Several non-Christian historical sources corroborate key aspects of the life of Jesus, including the crucifixion and the influence of the faiths followers.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, in Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, Chapter 3), describes Jesus as a wise man who was executed under Pontius Pilate3, and later in Book 20, Chapter 9, mentions “…the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others….”
The Roman historian Tacitus, in his Annals (Book 15, Chapter 44), confirms that someone named Christus suffered an extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius, at the hands of one of the procurators, Pontius Pilatus4.
Pliny the Younger, in Epistles (Book 10, Letter 96), writes to Emperor Trajan about early Christians who worshipped Jesus as a deity, highlighting their strong devotion5.
Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist, in The Death of Peregrinus, mockingly refers to Christians who worshipped a "the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world."
Additionally, Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian philosopher, wrote a letter comparing Jesus to other wise men like Socrates, noting Yeshua’s execution as unjust6.
These sources, despite being varied in tone and perspective, consistently affirm the historical existence of Jesus, the Passion, and the significant impact this figure has held since the 1st Century CE.
Parallels in Pagan Mythology
Something else I think about often is the parallels between Jesus' story and various pagan myths.
His birth, death, and resurrection aren’t completely unique.
They echo stories like those of Osiris, Dionysus, Mithras, and Attis—all gods who experienced some form of divine birth or rebirth.
Even Perseus, born from a virgin after Zeus visited his mother, seems to foreshadow Jesus in some ways.
The early Christians, like Justin Martyr, noticed these similarities too.
I read a passage from John Kaye’s The First Apology of Justin Martyr, suggests that the Sibylline Oracles and other non-Israelite prophecies accurately foretold Christ’s coming because, during their dispersion, Jews spread their Messianic prophecies, which then merged with existing pagan oracles, indicating that God's message was meant to reach beyond Israel and be universally accessible7.
But while the parallels are there, the story of Jesus stands apart because of its deeply Jewish roots, the historical details, and the ethical teachings embedded within, through 1st-century Judea.
Faith, Doubt, and Connection
Through all of this, what resonates with me the most is the idea of faith.
Faith is a curious thing—so hard to define yet deeply integral.
Philosophically, you could say the opposite of belief is disbelief or agnosticism, a decision to withhold judgment.
And for faith, its opposite might be doubt or skepticism.
Some people go even further, with nihilism rejecting inherent meaning altogether.
Yet, what I love about faith is its quiet, persistent hope—a trust in something larger than ourselves, even if it’s not tangible.
Sometimes, I wonder why all of this even matters.
But then, as I sit here in front of my screen—typing out my thoughts, putting them into some order, trying to make sense of it all—I think it’s because I want to believe that even in this disjointed, hyper-connected world, there's a way to feel something real.
Social media and the internet have linked us in unprecedented ways, yet the actual human connection feels fragmented.
We’re connected, but are we really connecting?
Questions for You
So, this brings me to you.
In a world overflowing with content, how do you find true connection and meaning?
How do you explore the mysteries of faith across different traditions?
I’d love to hear about what perspective you put your faith in.
Ephesians 1:23 describes the deep relationship between Christ and the Church, with the Church as His body and Christ as its head. The passage highlights Christ's authority and His role in filling all things with His presence:
Latin Vulgate: "quae est corpus ipsius plenitudo eius qui omnia in omnibus adimpletur" highlighting the completeness and authority of Christ over all things.
Greek New Testament: "ἥτις ἐστὶν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν πληρουμένου," with "πλήρωμα" (pleroma) indicating the fullness of Christ filling all aspects of creation.
King James Version (KJV): "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all," emphasizing that the Church embodies the fullness of Christ.
New International Version (NIV): "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way," suggesting Christ's pervasive influence and the Church's role in representing His divine nature.
Across translations, Ephesians 1:23 shows that Christ's presence fills all of existence, with the Church as the vessel for His authority and completeness, highlighting spiritual unity and His purpose manifested through the Church.
I’m reminded by the thought as to how much this is reminiscent of the children’s game Broken Telephone.
The full excerpt reads:
Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
The passage continues:
“…and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”
The excerpt reads as follows:
An anonymous paper was put forth containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they either were or had been Christians, upon their calling on the gods after me, and upon their offering wine and incense before your statue, which for this purpose I had ordered to be introduced in company with the images of the gods, moreover upon their reviling Christ—none of which things it is said can such as are really and truly (Christians be compelled to do—these I deemed it proper to dismiss. Others named by the informer admitted that they were Christians, and then shortly afterwards denied it, adding that they had been Christians, but had ceased to be so, some three years, some many years, more than one of them as much as twenty years, before. All these, too, not only honoured your image and the effigies of the gods, but also reviled Christ. They affirmed, however, that this had been the sum, whether of their crime or their delusion ; they had been in the habit of meeting together on a stated day, before sunrise, and of offering in turns a form of invocation to Christ, as to a god ; also of binding themselves by an oath, not for any guilty purpose, but not to commit thefts, or robberies, or adulteries, not to break their word, not to repudiate deposits when called upon ; these ceremonies having been gone through, they had been in the habit of separating, and again meeting together for the purpose of taking food—food, that is, of an ordinary and innocent kind. They had, however, ceased from doing even this, after my edict, in which, following your orders, I had forbidden the existence of Fraternities. This made me think it all the more necessary to inquire, even by torture, of two maid-servants, who were styled deaconesses, what the truth was. I could discover nothing else than a vicious and extrava- gant superstition : consequently, having adjourned the inquiry, I have had recourse to your counsels. Indeed, the matter seemed to me a proper one for consultation, chiefly on account of the number of persons imperilled. For many of all ages and all ranks, ay, and of both sexes, are being called, and will be called, into danger. Nor are cities only permeated by the contagion of this superstition, but villages and country parts as well ; ' yet it seems possible to stop it and cure it. It is in truth sufficiently evident that the temples, which were almost entirely deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the customary religious rites which had long been interrupted are being; resumed, and that there is a sale for the food of sacrificial beasts, for which hitherto very few buyers in- deed could be found. From all this it is easy to form an opinion as to the great number of persons who may be reclaimed, if only room be granted for penitence.
Found in the Letter of Mara bar Sarapion in Context, page 106:
“The comparison between Socrates and Jesus is a very standard one for the Greek Christian apologists of the 2nd and 3rd century, who exploited it from different perspectives.”
Found on pages 53-55