“Many of us are blind to the storytelling we do as we travel through our personal narrative arc. The decisions we make communicate our beliefs about the world. But do we see the story? Rarely. But we are still living out a story - a plot with setting, characters, conflict, and (maybe) resolution. The question we must ask ourselves is: what story am I living with my life?"
-Sho Baraka
What Story Are You Living?
Now you're probably wondering what these symbols you've seen around campus mean, yes? We are so excited to share their meaning with you. These symbols tell the most beautiful and compelling story of life - a story worth tying your story to.
Keep scrolling to learn more.
Wholeness
Where do you see this goodness or wholeness in your life or in our world?
To whom or what do you give credit for this goodness?
"God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good.."
God designed the physical universe and human beings with inherent goodness. Humans are uniquely made “in God’s image” (an ancient concept called the Imago Dei), which gives every human being essential worth and value regardless of age, gender, skin pigmentation, ethnicity, physical appearance or impairments. Our world, our bodies, and life itself are gifts God has given for us to enjoy every day. God desires to be present to us in the created world, that we would experience the ultimate blessing of life with God.
Sadly this is not the whole story…
Ancient Hebrew creation narrative
Genesis 1:31
Brokenness
What in your life or the world screams brokenness to you?
Do you think there is any hope?
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
We’d be lying if we pretended like everything was good and whole. The reality is there is an overwhelming amount of brokenness in the world - and in me. Anxiety, depression, sickness, injustice, and death. We believe all these things come from what the ancient writings of Christianity and Judaism call “sin”. Sin could maybe be translated as “evil” in modern language.
"For the wages of sin is death..."
Sin is an impersonal force that acts on me, you, & on societies at large.. AND it is an innate condition every human being suffers and acts out. It inclines parts of ourselves to evil, and just like the line in the image we experience separation from ourselves, from others, and most importantly from God.
Jeremiah the Hebrew prophet (600 B.C)
Jeremiah 17:9
-from a letter to an early church
Romans 6:23
Redemption
Who do you think Jesus is/was?
Have you ever read any of the first-hand accounts of his life?
(Read more here!)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
“There is a lot of good work being done in the world to fix the brokenness. Yet, we believe that because ultimately sin is at the root of all brokenness, our only hope is in the defeat of sin, but we are helpless to do this on our own.
However, we believe that Jesus can. We believe that Jesus was a real person, who lived in a specific place and time (Galilee/Palestine c. 0-33 AD), was killed by crucifixion, and literally rose from the dead. There is excellent historical evidence for his life, death, and resurrection, and all three are crucial to the story.
Jesus modeled perfect morality and was unstained by sin, even so he voluntarily died to remove the power and presence of sin in the world, and then he rose from the dead, completing his victory over evil and death. Through his death and resurrection Jesus offers us “redemption”: freedom from the presence, power and penalty of sin in our lives.
-a letter to a first century church
Colossians 1:13-14
Restoration
What would you like to see restored in your life or in the world?
How could you see God inviting you into that work?
He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
God is actively in the process of Re-creating, Rebuilding, and Renewing... RESTORING all aspects of life to the way He intended.
This work began with Jesus’ redemptive death and resurrection
It continues now, within and through those who believe in and commit their lives to follow Jesus.
And one day it will be completed - a full restoration and reconciliation of all humanity and the physical world.
-a letter to an early church
Revelation 21:4
That's The Good News
You might have heard the word “Gospel” before. That word means “Good News”, and we believe the Christian story is the Best News because it’s actually true, AND we have experienced the reality of Jesus in our lives!
Thank you for taking the time to engage with the true story of Jesus and Christianity.
What do you think?
How does your life and story intersect with this story? How are they different?