Ikem Nnadi ’23
Contributor
What is the greatest call of a Christian?
This is a question many have asked throughout the entire course of Christian history, and is a question frequently asked by non-Christians who are curious about the faith.
So, again, what is a Christian’s greatest call? Is it to serve the poor, go to mass weekly, to study the Bible? The reality is that being a Christian includes not only these things, but so much more. Christianity is not just a religion, it’s a way of life.
One’s call as a Christian isn’t convenient or easy. In fact, it’s tasking and at times difficult to do.
Despite this, the call of a Christian is to love one another as Christ Jesus loved us and to put God above everything else in your life. It is through this love that we become more like Christ, and through love we bring Christ to the world.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Loving other people isn’t always easy; that’s obvious. We humans are not easy to love, or quick to love in return.
And yet, “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins, so that we may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We must pass on the love God has shown to us all, regardless of our mistakes or the mistakes of the person next to us.
That is the call of a Christian. In a world seemingly devoid of togetherness, hope, and love, our job as Christians is to be God’s light in the world, loving others, caring for others, and uplifting others, even when they trespass against us.
While we ourselves won’t always be faultless, that’s where righteousness comes into play. A righteous person is not a perfect person. Instead, it is someone who strives to do good in this world—stumbling sometimes—but always getting back up and trying again with God’s help.
We are all sinners; that much is clear. But that’s where the basis of our faith comes from. We as sinners seek forgiveness and grace from the Father, while believing in the Son’s death and resurrection, and with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can go about and make change while serving all people on Earth.
In doing this, we see God, become more like Christ Jesus, and do the work of the Holy Spirit. You see, being a Christian is being an optimist, seeing the world through God’s eyes.
Not everyone believes Jesus lived here on Earth. Not everyone wants to change their lifestyle or to hear the Word.
But we Christians, sinners, and imperfect people are called to seek righteousness and to love, placing our relationship with Christ and the Father above all else, humbly serving Him in love.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
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