The Final Reflection on "the Way"

There were expectations of understanding this topic, the “way of salvation”, and receiving the ability to have clear discussions with others about it. This “way of salvation”, as Wesley calls it, is a not only words and thoughts, but it is a way of life that allows us to progress toward heaven. There is so much more to that process. Understanding the love that God has for each one of us is the main idea of this big word, soteriology. He sent his son, Jesus, to this earth because he loved us so much.
                  This topic of God’s love is not only overwhelming, but it is something that is hard to understand for all of us here on earth. The fact that we were created out of love, and we have such a hard time explaining it and sharing it with others is concerning. Our Western ideals and industrialization have twisted our understanding of love, and it has made it hard for us to imagine that God would do that just for us. So, now the question is how do we share this love with others in our communities like God shared with us? This “way of salvation” is a great start.

This topic has inspired me in so many ways. Not only in my own life, but in the life of those around me. Understanding this process has given me a different perspective of salvation and those that don’t even know what it is and how to move from the commitment to the life in Christ. We, as a church, have begun a new program called “Alpha”. Going through this program will allow us to start at the beginning with our people that don’t have a relationship with Christ to living the life that God created us for. Allowing folks to ask questions and dig in to the “whys” of Christianity is something that has been missing in our churches for a long time. Those that don’t go to church have questions and want to know why they are committing to something that seems so unreachable. That was never God’s intention. It is time for us to bring it down and teach “the way of salvation” just as Wesley suggested in so many of his sermons.

I have learned that these big words like soteriology have pushed people away from trying to understand the depth of the love of God. It was pushing me away and giving me anxious feelings about what this topic was going to be like. The more I dug in, the more I fell more in love with God. It made me turn my eyes toward him in awe and with inspiration more than I ever had before. God’s intention with me was to show me love and allow me to find him in my own way and in my own time. That time is I thought had past, but I believe that through it all, I have come to the conclusion that I am pushing forward. Closer and closer to the feet of Jesus.