I believe some things that might sound a bit crazy.

I believe that there is a God, a Creator of this universe and of me.

I believe that His Son, Jesus, came down from heaven and was born to a virgin.

I believe that Jesus grew up and really lived a real life and that he did a ton of miracles, like turning water into wine and walking on water and healing people of lifelong diseases and bringing people back from the dead.

I believe that Jesus was killed on a cross, that he was buried, and that three days later, he came back to life.

Like I said, cuckoo!

Why do I believe these things?

One, what he has done for me and to me and through me since I met him on February 4, 1986 cannot be explained humanly. He has changed my life. I have felt him speak to me. I have seen him answer years of prayers. I have experienced his peace and his presence and his strength and his wisdom. I have watched him lift me up out of my pain and turn all of those horrible things into beautiful things. I did not single-handedly rescue myself and create this beautiful life of mine. Gift after gift after gift, given to me by Something outside of myself. So, if all I had to go on was my lifetime experience of God, my heart would have to believe in Jesus.

But two, there’s proof. Like a ton of it. Jesus actually existed. There is historical and archaeological evidence to back up his existence. Jesus really did die. There is historical and archaeological evidence to back up his crucifixion. Jesus really, really did come back to life after being dead. There is historical and archaeological evidence to back up his resurrection. Eye-witness accounts to his life, his death, his resurrection. And not just the Bible. The Bible’s reliability is also historically and archaeologically proven.

Here’s the thing. We all believe in something. It takes faith to believe there is a God. And it takes faith to believe we all – swoosh – up and existed out of thin air.

In my mind, though, it takes MORE faith to believe that our intricate bodies just became something out of nothing. And it takes MORE faith to believe that this gorgeous world just popped up on its own with nothing to start it in motion.

We all believe something.

My heart and my mind are in full alignment on this:

There is a God
He sent his Son, Jesus, for you and for me.
Jesus died on the cross for us.
Jesus came back to life for us.
God created each one of us.
We have been created to be in relationship with our Creator and with each other.
And life with God is a beautiful mystery that I will never fully comprehend but that I cannot believe I get to live.

May you have a precious, thought-provoking, gratitude-filled Good Friday and a joyful and happy Easter.