Christianity offends the intellect with the simplicity of its pinnacle affirmation: Jesus Christ is the summation of the Principle of the Good.

All human goals, all human meaning, all human perfection, is contained and exemplified by Him. By Him wholly, incomparably, impeccably. All philosophies, all religious systems, indeed all the wisdom and insight and beauty contained in art, music, and poetry point finally to Him—even and especially where they encounter the abyss of human sin and suffering and attest to it. In a profoundly eschatological way, all these confrontations and overcomings flow from Him in Whom “all things hold together” (Col 1:17).

“Jesus Christ is Lord”: with this foolishness to the Greeks and scandal to the Jews, St Paul turned history on its head. For God had spoken to all men in all places—inspiring them to the Good and foreshadowing every knowledge about divine things—and then, in the fullness of time, He sent His own Son to manifest and bear witness to the Good in an ultimate manner and to open the road to the greatest knowledge of God possible: that which He bestows through the incarnation of His Love.

“God is love”: we know what this means through Christ, and we realize it on earth by following Christ. At the end of every quest, at the culmination of every system, at the farthest spiritual reaches humanity will ever have the courage to go, there is Christ, Alpha and Omega, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, King of Righteousness and Mercy forever (Is 9:6).

By God’s grace Christianity has always proclaimed this Christ. It has had the courage and purity of heart to know: there is no greater proclamation, nor will there ever be. Whatever you wish to dream and achieve, trust it is summed up here: in Jesus.

by Timothy Lavenz
May 26, 2022