Why do I keep coming back to Christianity? Because I desire to love and be loved. I’m in love with the creator of this universe, the source which creates, sustains, and destroys. I’m certain it must be intelligent, far more intelligent than we are. Whenever I read of God, my heart yearns. It desires communion with Him. I was amazed to read the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, written at least 3000 years ago, before the Bible and long before Jesus walked the Earth. These scriptures could’ve come out of the Bible. They speak of sin, redemption, and desire of union with God. They wax ecstatic about the Creator of All, the Source of Being, Awareness itself. The Upanisads, the later Hindu scriptures become more specific, offering “paths to God” — the Bhagavad Gita is the most well-known and cherished book of India. While the Gita is inspiring and warms the heart, it’s not a historical book. It’s a poem. IOW, God doesn’t enter historically into the Hindu scriptures. Not like the Hebrew scriptures. God makes a historical entrance on the stage of humanity. He’s been here all along and there are songs of praise, poems, etc from almost all cultures. However, there’s nothing like the Hebrew Bible in which the Lord makes His entrance, speaking directly to historical figures in believable ways. Most of the Biblical events have been corroborated by physical evidence — there really was a Moses, a King David, etc. Did the Red Sea really part? Who knows, but the prophets were real people: Micah, Isiah, Jeremiah, etc. We have their God-inspired verse to this day.

Krishna? Who is that? We don’t really know. His words as recorded in the Gita are some of the lovliest and devotional I’ve ever read, yet we don’t have a historical figure to pin them to. I find it difficult to live my life according to a poem composed by an anonymous fellow 2700 years ago, regardless of how inspiring it is.

Then, best of all, we have Jesus. No doubt historical: born 3 BC, a healer, teacher, revolutionary, alleged God-man, crucified 27 CE for treason against the Roman Empire, died, was buried, and after that, history isn’t sure, but what is certain is that a devotion and love spread for him like wildfire and within a few years; strictly monotheistic Jews were no claiming he was the Lord incarnate and worshiping him accordingly. This is all plain historical fact, beyond debate. This is someone in whom I can place my trust; someone worth emulating; a mystic, guru, social critic and revolutionary; an incarnation of God. His message: God loves you. Turn away from your self-centered lives and focus on the creator of the universe. Feed and clothe the poor, live simply. Love, forgive, and help each other. What’s not to love about this message? Who can argue that this is not a satisfying and holistic way to live?