As Ace’s mom, I’ve come to a conviction that the best, truest way of faith is the simplest. If it’s not an inclusive faith, if it demands jumping through belief hoops — rules of what it means to believe correctly — if my faith is not simple enough for my son to claim it as his own, I’ve missed the story. I was recently introduced to the work of E. Stanley Jones, a writer and Christian missionary to India in the early 20th century. I’m reading his book, The Christ of the Mount, published in 1931, and was immediately taken with the first page of Chapter One, in which he articulates something I’ve spent a lot of thought trying to grasp words for: Jesus, he says, is the simplification of God.

In our quest for a slower life and a slower faith, this is a kind of shiny gold gift. Let’s simplify our belief. If we want to know what God is like, can we look at Jesus: Humble, always learning, unafraid to ask questions or grow, embracing those on the margins, bringing in the rejected, including everyone (especially the folks considered immoral), feasting, practicing gentleness, elevating justice, caring for the weakest around him, and pissing off the religious of his day with his inclusive message. He asks this of his followers: Do you believe that God can be this…me? Do you believe that healing is possible? Do you believe that there’s more to being alive than the daily grind of human existence? Do you believe that God is for you?

Links:

• This reflection and practice were also published this week in The Slow Way Newsletter. 
• E. Stanley Jones’ book The Christ of the Mount can be found here.
• Find a transcript of this episode here. 
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• Micha's other podcast, The Lucky Few, is all about Down syndrome advocacy. She cohosts it with Heather Avis and Mercedes Lara.
• Found: A Story of Questions, Grace, and Everyday Prayer is available everywhere books are sold