Is faith emotional or rational?
Are you a rational person? Or more an emotional type? People can use symbols to express their feelings or the decisions they make. In this story we meet John. Watch and see what symbols he uses and why.
Are you a rational person like I am? More focused on facts, rather than soft feelings and emotions? I am a trained scientist and want to prove things. I was so rational in the past that I had doubts about my own feelings. What happens inside me when something bad happens? While I was young, not so much.
Although I see my rationality as a strength, I later started to realize that I am more open to symbols and emotions than I thought. Having the picture on the wall of my mother who passed away, brings back good memories of her. Or burning a candle when someone passes away, gives me comfort.
People in Jesus’ days wanted to know what was happening when John drew lots of people’s attention. Some people started doing research and they asked him questions. When they listened to him, most of them wanted to be baptized as a symbol to start a better life. John makes it clear that this is a symbol. After him, Jesus will come and he will make the change from the inside. What do you think about symbols?
Watch the movie The Case of Christ. A true story about rational journalist Lee Strobel and his quest to prove Christianity is false.
Do you know all the seven I AM statements?
In this video serie examine seven staggering statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John, and consider how His statements are relevant to you today.