The Thread
“You seduced me, LORD, and I let myself be seduced; you were too strong for me, and you prevailed.” - Jeremiah 20:7
Many who know me may not be aware of this. But I was not raised Christian, let alone Catholic. Not really. My parents did have me baptized as an infant in the Presbyterian faith (Protestant) - perhaps to please my Mom’s parents, but I don’t know that for sure. I was born in San Jose, California. At that time, my family, including my maternal and paternal grandparents, all lived in California. Because my mother’s parents were Presbyterian and I was the first born, I suppose they felt some familial obligation at that point (and I’m glad they did!). Not too long after I was born, my father received a job offer with Ford Motor Company and the family moved to Michigan. My only sibling, Jill, was born in Michigan. My sister was never baptized. To this day it is a deep ache I bear and one I may carry to my grave. But hope remains.
My family never really practiced our faith. Occasionally, we would go to the local Presbyterian Church on Christmas or Easter, but my family was never a card carrying parishioner of any church that I can recall - or at least did not perform as such. At times I recall attending an occasional Sunday School class or two, but I suspect that was when I was young and thrown into the class during services so I would not be disruptive :). Nevertheless, I am grateful for those times.
I remember when I was quite young. I can’t recall my exact age, but I was attracted to faith in a powerful way. In fact, that Christmas I asked my parents to give me a Bible for my gift. To this day, it was the best present I have ever received from them. I have it still and cherish it. But, even so, while technically a “Christian” through my baptism, I did not know Jesus - and I certainly was not practicing my faith in any meaningful way.
As I grew older and entered college, I was seeking for meaning in life. I suppose I always have been - not content to just simply “live” life, but always with the need to discover, to know the answers to the bigger questions: Why are we here? What is our purpose? Where are we going? And so, over time I explored many faiths - Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and others - seeking. Always seeking.
The historical certainty of Jesus Christ existing always fascinated me and, in particular, how other world religions viewed this man that by no uncertain estimates changed the entire course of history.
You may be surprised to learn the following:
Islam - The Koran describes the virgin birth from Mary and Jesus is highly regarded and viewed as a Prophet who performed many miracles and ascended into Heaven in bodily form.
Judaism - Judaism pre-existed (and gave birth to) Christianity, but Jews deny that Jesus was the Messiah. However, most historians and ancient Jews recognized that Jesus was a man who existed and was crucified for, in part, proclaiming that he was the Messiah.
Hinduism - A diverse Indian religion, Hindus often worship many gods and goddesses and some include Jesus in their list of deities. They don’t, however, see Jesus as the only way to God. But, they do view him as an example of what humans can attain.
Buddhism - While Buddhism is based primarily on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (a spiritual teacher from India who lived from approximately 563 BC to 483 BC and is known as the Buddha), Buddhism incorporates a variety of religious traditions, beliefs and practices. Most Buddhist see Jesus as a wise teacher who was “enlightened”.
Bahai Faith - Founded in the 19th Century in Iran, they consider Jesus to be a manifestation of God, who are a series of personages that reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization.
Indeed, almost every religion recognizes that Jesus was a real historical figure and provides some level of reverence or respect to His teachings of loving neighbor and God. So all these religions point to Jesus as one of the ways (but also say they are a way). But, only in Christianity, does Jesus himself proclaim to be the Son of God and fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. And, in fact, He states that He is the only way to God. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
I remember a great story about Cat Stevens - he is called Yosuf Islam now. [By the way, what a great name for a singer from the 70s “Cat” - just love that!]. He came to speak at the University of Michigan when I was in college. Now, I love music. And who did not love Cat Stevens’ music?
It's not time to make a change
Just relax, take it easy
You're still young, that's your fault
There's so much you have to know
Find a girl, settle down
If you want you can marry
Look at me, I am old
But I'm happy
I was once like you are now
And I know that it's not easy
To be calm when you've found
Something going on
But take your time, think a lot
Think of everything you've got
For you will still be here tomorrow
But your dreams may not
-Cat Stevens - Father and Son
So, along with many of my peers, I went to attend his lecture. He described an event where he was swimming in the ocean and began to drown - perhaps caught in a rip tide. At that moment he prayed to God and said, “God, if you save me, I will be and do whatever you want.” As I recall it (and I may not get this 100% right) a man swam out and pulled him to shore. That man was a Muslim and shared his faith with Cat. The rest is history - Cat became a Muslim.
It was a powerful lecture and I respect Cat for his courage to follow and step out into faith. Afterward, Cat Stevens said he interpreted that moment as an answer from God, converted to Islam and changed his name to Yousef Islam. I was in awe of this story and not too long after obtained a copy of the Koran from a friend I was working with at the time. In addition, I made some wonderful friends at the University of Michigan who were Muslim and came to admire them. I suppose I was attracted to the extreme obedience of many who practice Islam, among other things.
[SIDE NOTE] As pointed out above briefly, you may be surprised to learn the similarities that Islam has with Christianity. Did you know that Adam, Noah, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Elisha, Job, Joseph, Jonah, Solomon, David, Abraham, Satan, Mary, and Jesus all appear in the Koran? In addition, the angels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael appear. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, though, Islam has a third category of creature (besides humans and angels) called Jinn, from which the word “Genie” comes from. In fact, the English word “genie” comes from the French word genie which was translated from the Arabic jinni in the book The Arabian Nights - cue Aladdin! Unlike humans who were made from clay or the earth, and angels who are pure spirits, the jinn were created from a “smokeless flame”. Interesting right? Islam also has a sort of “purgatory” called “Barzakh” meaning obstacle or hindrance/separation. It is a stage of place between an individual’s death and their resurrection - a resting place for souls until the judgment.
In NOSTRA AETATE, the Pope stated as follows:
“In our time, when day by day mankind is being drawn closer together, and the ties between different peoples are becoming stronger, the Church examines more closely her relationship to non-Christian religions. In her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to fellowship…The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.”
And, in DOMINUS IESUS, the Pope stated:
Moreover, while proclaiming that “with the coming of the Saviour Jesus Christ, God has willed that the Church founded by him be the instrument for the salvation of all humanity” (cf. Acts 17:30-31). This truth of faith does not lessen the sincere respect which the Church has for the religions of the world, but at the same time, it rules out, in a radical way, that mentality of indifferentism “characterized by a religious relativism which leads to the belief that 'one religion is as good as another'”. The Church also declared, “[c]ertainly, the various religious traditions contain and offer religious elements which come from God, and which are part of what “the Spirit brings about in human hearts and in the history of peoples, in cultures, and religions”. Indeed, some prayers and rituals of the other religions may assume a role of preparation for the Gospel, in that they are occasions or pedagogical helps in which the human heart is prompted to be open to the action of God. One cannot attribute to these, however, a divine origin or an ex opere operato salvific efficacy, which is proper to the Christian sacraments.” - Dominus Iesus.
In essence, all religion points to Christ as the way, the truth, and the life in some way. There are elements of truth, signs that hint of Jesus and the path He provides. [END SIDE NOTE]
Meanwhile, I had a good friend in my fraternity who had become “born again” into the Christian faith. He also inspired me [more on that later].
I also had many friends at The University of Michigan who were Jewish. Their faith inspired me beyond all other faiths. The unity and bond of the Jewish people. The shared experiences of persecution throughout time. The Abrahamic traditions. The ancient connection of the Jewish faith to Israel and the connection to Christianity. God’s covenant with them as the “Chosen” people. The Jewish faith is beautiful and profound (and indeed the very the foundation of the Christian faith). It demonstrates a personal God who loves and cares for his people and shepherds them, protects them, indeed, even pines after them. Read the Song of Songs - It also contained powerful predictions of a coming Messiah [more on that in a minute]. The Jewish faith and tradition are simply beautiful beyond measure.
There was (and is) a unique connection between all three of these major Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - both to history and tied to one special place on the planet smaller than the State of New Jersey (Go Bruce!) - Israel. A place that was mysteriously or mystically calling to me. A geographic location that has perplexed the world for thousands of years. Ground zero for all faith.
While in college, I became a member of a fraternity - DKE. Delta Kappa Epsilon. I think it was the same fraternity (albeit at a different college) that the movie Animal House was based on and has certainly shared its critics. I could, of course, be wrong about that, but it sure felt like it at the time.
The type of group where 20 kegs would be lined down the driveway on a Saturday night, a Reggae band jammin’ in the house, and the place packed wall to wall with college kids and red Solo Cups. The next morning you could smell the hops and barley, see the beer bubbles/foam from around the edge of your shoes as you walked across the alcohol soaked carpet, and, of course, cracked Solo Cups littered the floor. Yep. And I won’t even get into Pledge (or Hell) Week - ugh. (To this day, I cannot understand why I agreed to go through such nonsense).
During one of those epic parties, I remember walking up the stairs and by the room of one of my frat brothers - Larry. Larry was an interesting guy. He dressed in all black. Didn’t care what anyone thought. And he was always reading the Bible. He was totally comfortable in his own skin. Authentic. Real. Genuine.
One night after a drunken binge, I wobbled up stairs to my room and saw Larry sitting on the floor by candlelight - reading a leather bound book - Scripture. He was at peace and praying.
I thought to myself, “I want that!”
Of course, this is not the first time I saw someone reading a Bible or praying. But something deep inside me clicked, and I knew - no yearned, pined - for a relationship with my Creator. For the first time, I somehow knew that it was possible, and I was going to pursue this goal at all cost - for the rest of my life. No matter what.
And so, Larry and I became good friends. He invited me to a Bible study, then a retreat, and soon I was on my way - falling in love with the Lord. And I mean falling in love. It was much like the feelings I experienced when falling in love with my wife. The excitement, the desire to fully know the other, wanting to please, and to unite oneself completely in intimacy. Wanting to be together every moment. To learn all about the other and to consume yourself with them. To talk with them. To experience them. In short to become one.
There was something different about this experience from my earlier explorations into religion. It was close, personal, profound, and I sensed it all around me. Power. God was close - I could feel Him. And I was not about to let go.
Now, I love nature - from my earliest times as a young Boy Scout - camping and hiking - I recall the glory of the outdoors. Nature is magnificent and cries out to the beauty, design, and marvelous signs that creation is as it points to its Maker. I think even before organized religions, folks must have looked at the mountains, or the oceans, the stars, planets, and unlimited number of creatures that inhabit the Earth, and thought to themselves - there must be something more. Consider for a moment - just the honey bee. This tiny insect is remarkable - no magnificent:
Honey bees are super-important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. This means that they help other plants grow! Bees transfer pollen between the male and female parts, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit. Without them, our agricultural system would be devastated.
Honey bees must gather nectar from two million flowers to make one pound of honey.
One bee would therefore have to fly around 90,000 miles - three times around the globe - to make one pound of honey.
The average honey bee will actually make only one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
A honey bee can fly as fast as 15 miles per hour.
It takes one ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world.
A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip.
Worker bees are all female.
Flowers have bright markings and strong smells to attract bees and other insects so that they will pollinate flowers. Some also have dark lines called 'honey guides' which scientists believe help insects find their way into the flowers.
A colony of bees consists of tens of thousands of worker bees, one queen and sometimes drones (male bees).
The honey bee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.
Honey has always been highly regarded as a medicine. It is thought to help everything from sore throats and digestive disorders to skin problems and hay fever.
Honey has antiseptic properties and historically was often used as a dressing for wounds and a first aid treatment for burns and cuts.
Honey lasts forever - or nearly. An explorer who found a 2000 year old jar of honey in an Egyptian tomb said it tasted delicious!
The natural fruit sugars in honey - fructose and glucose - are very quickly digested by the body. This is why sportsmen and athletes use honey to give them a natural energy boost.
The Romans used honey instead of gold to pay their taxes.
Honey bees have been producing honey in the same way for 150 million years.
The bees' buzz is the sound made by their wings which beat 11,400 times per minute.
Honey bees live in hives (or colonies). The members of the hive are divided into three types:
Queen: One queen runs the whole hive. Her job is to lay the eggs that will spawn the hive’s next generation of bees. The queen also produces chemicals that guide the behaviour of the other bees.
Workers: these are all female and their roles are to forage for food (pollen and nectar from flowers), build and protect the hive, clean and circulate air by beating their wings. Workers are the only bees most people ever see flying around outside the hive.
Drones: These are the male bees, and their purpose is to mate with the new queen. Several hundred live in each hive during the spring and summer. But come winter, when the hive goes into survival mode, the drones are kicked out!
What are these buzzing bugs most famous for? Delicious honey! But did you know they produce honey as food stores for the hive during winter? Luckily for us, these efficient little workers produce 2-3 time more honey than they need, so we get to enjoy the tasty treat, too!
If the queen bee dies, workers will create a new queen by selecting a young larva (the newly hatched baby insects) and feeding it a special food called “royal jelly“. This enables the larva to develop into a fertile queen.
Honey bees are fab flyers. They fly at a speed of around 25km (15mph) per hour and beat their wings 200 times per second and can fly up to 6 miles!
Each bee has 170 odorant receptors, which means they have one serious sense of smell! They use this to communicate within the hive and to recognise different types of flowers when looking for food.
The average worker bee lives for just five to six weeks. During this time, she’ll produce around a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.
The queen can live up to five years. She is busiest in the summer months, when she can lay up to 2,500 eggs a day!
Honey bees are also brilliant boogiers! To share information about the best food sources, they perform their ‘waggle dance’ to provide information. When the worker returns to the hive, it moves in a figure-of-eight and waggles its body to indicate the direction of the food source. Cool, huh?
And this is just 1 of God’s creations. ONE. There are trillions….Think about that!!
And so, I could never understand why people don’t seek to know the truth of religion. Creation cries out His name. No, it SCREAMS His name. His majesty is all around us. In every place, in each glance. We are standing on Holy Ground all the time!
I don’t mean to offend. There are many religions. But - they can’t ALL be true. At least I don’t believe so. In fact, each religion teaches that it is the truth and that other religions are not (see above). [As an aside, the Catholic Church teaches that all religions have elements of the truth and are vehicles to point people to God - more on that later…]. So how can we know? Can we know? Is faith just picking your horse and running with it, hoping you got it right? I don’t think so anyway. [SIDE NOTE: Judaism is in fact true - we disagree about whether Jesus was in fact the Messiah - but if He is, it is just the fulfillment of the Jewish faith].
I believe God programed us (there it is again), put in our DNA so to speak, the ability to know Him, to find Him if you will, and I believe that after Jesus Christ came in the “fullness of time” to restore humanity, God showed us the truth - at a particular moment in time, at a particular place, once and for all.
So, I started to study the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament / Torah and other writings) as well as the writings of the New Testament. I also read Jewish scholars that existed at the time of Jesus like Josephus. I was surprised to find so many prophecies in the ancient Jewish text predicting exactly Jesus Christ and the events of his birth, life and death/resurrection.
For example consider this. There are more than 100 prophecies from the Old Testament that were fulfilled directly by Jesus in the New Testament.
I noticed that there is essentially a “thread” through time that God planted from the beginning until now leading (pointing) humanity to Him. As time progressed, these revelations slowly unfolded in a manner that people could receive them for the age, time and place of their culture. Remarkable.
But my journey was not finished. I had fallen in love with God, but had not yet reached the church He established - The Catholic Church.
After college, I recall walking into a Catholic Church in Chicago. I can’t recall which one exactly, but I believe it was near DePaul. What I remember, as if it was yesterday, is the feeling I had when I entered that church. I was awe struck and felt as if I was on Holy Ground. So much so, that I felt compelled to kneel. Almost pressed to the ground. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this started the beginning of a strong pull the Catholic Church had on my heart.
Fast forward. I eventually met my beautiful wife, Julie, whom I have been married to for 31 years! We shared a common love of God, and while she was baptized a Catholic, for a number of reasons we elected to join the Presbyterian Church in Plymouth, Michigan, where I became a deacon. We were married in that Church by our beloved friend and pastor, Lee Seese. As an aside, I am deeply grateful to Lee for the influence he had on my growth as a Christian, and he and his wife Lisa (who is Jewish) will always hold a special place in my heart. They are holy and beautiful people.
After we married, Julie and I bought a small little bungalow in Plymouth, and I began attending law school. We were pregnant with our first daughter, Megan, and were “off to the races”.
[END OF PART 1]