While I am a Christian, admitting that openly online always feels a bit awkward. I don’t often share my faith on social media or on any public platform. I know the term “Christian” is often looked at in a negative light, having been used incorrectly to justify discrimination, intolerance and hypocrisy throughout history.
For many, the term is extremely negative, and I can’t blame them. Prior to becoming a believer in the faith, I remember an encounter I had with a man who cornered me on the street, demanding, “Do you know Jesus as your personal savior?”
I didn’t at the time, and for years, I didn’t want to know Jesus if knowing him meant I’d accost strangers on the street with such maniacal fervor.
Since then however, I’ve learned so much from Jesus’ example about how to love people—and by “people,” I mean all people; not merely those who happen to share my religious beliefs. I’m doing my best to teach and model this practice of love to my kids, and here are a few reasons why.
Our world needs more kindness
There are so many polarizing issues dividing people in our country at this time. Tense battle lines have been drawn over gender, race, religion, politics and seemingly every other issue. One of Jesus’ most beautifully simple commands is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And by “neighbor,” Jesus of course didn’t literally mean your next-door neighbor who (conveniently) happens to have the same skin color, political opinions and beliefs as you.
He wants us to love all people—treating every single human being around us with as much grace, love, compassion and dignity as we can muster. I am teaching my kids that we don’t love based on religion. When it comes to love, everyone is deserving.
This open-ended, inclusive love is in short supply, and the world desperately needs more compassion, empathy and understanding.
Respecting differences is vital for our country’s future
It’s easy to love people who think like you, because it’s familiar, and it’s comfortable. But loving someone despite differences is crucial. Our country is wonderfully diverse, and it’s so important to teach children that regardless of our differences, there is a key commonality: We are all still human beings.
I’m hoping my children will influence others to erase some of the dividing lines that alienate people in our country. I encourage them to look beyond labels, and to respect others’ beliefs and preferences, offering the dignity and respect they deserve.
Connecting with people of different faiths encourages kids to test their own
I can teach my children about the Bible. I can talk to them about Jesus and model Christ-like behavior. At the end of the day though, I can’t give my kids faith. They need to examine their own hearts and minds and decide for themselves what they truly believe.
My children need to hear what other people embrace spiritually. They need to be exposed to different thoughts and other perspectives. They need to be humble enough to challenge their own beliefs by being open to other schools of thought.
I hope that my kids will continue to embrace people of all faiths, because regardless of religious differences, we are all human beings trying to sift meaning out of life. And love goes a long way in binding us together on the journey.
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- I’m a Christian, but Here’s Why I Teach My Kids to Love People of All Faiths - February 4, 2020