Jesus is My Friend

Jesus is My Friend
By Joe Martinez

Amongst all the tirades and name calling that goes along with good old fashion apologetics, people sometimes forget the main point of Christianity: Love.

And with love comes relationship, particularly with Jesus Christ.

Now, the approach Catholics take to our relationship with Jesus is explained in a very certain way. It isn't enough to simply say, "I accept Jesus into my heart" and be done with it. As it says in James 2: 14 "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?" A relationship with Jesus requires action.

However, it also isn't enough to simply do good deeds in the name of the Lord, as is evident in Mathew 7:22-23. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evil doers."

So where is the middle ground? The point you want to reach is where you stop seeing Jesus as a being to appease and start seeing Him as a person to have a relationship with. Yes, the human race has a history of doing things for God, but seeing things only in that way is missing the point. God is a person, guys. A person, just like me and you.

Okay, not quite like me and you, but I hope you're starting to see the picture. When you follow God's law, it shouldn't be because God said so. I should be because He loves you and you love him. If your best friend ask you to pick him up and take him to work at 6 a.m. and said that you were his only ride, would it be okay if you just blew him off? Would he be cool with it if you told him, "Ah dawg, I needed to sleep in, sorries." No! Well, then why is it okay when we forget our promises with God?

God's like that friend who you completely burn every time you see Him. You rip Him off, you lie to Him, you cheat Him, and yet He still wants to hang out with you. And the funny thing is, He 's better than that. He created us. But God is so loving that He will give us as many chances as He can until we figure out what we're missing. So take advantage of it. Say hi to the best friend you ever had today.

He's waiting for you. All you have to do is turn off the TV, the ipod, the radio (or in my case) the internet/online game machine box, and start a conversation in either English, Latin, Mexican (it's a dialect okay?) German, or whatever language you speak. Jesus is waiting to hang out. So get to talking. I promise He'll be a better friend than any you've ever had.

And for a closing, I have a video I feel sums up the message I'm proposing.