God exists. You can encounter him. 

The question of (true) religion

Humans have always strived for happiness and fulfillment, for truth and transcendence. “Through literature, music, painting, sculpture, architecture and every other work of their creative intelligence they (human beings) have declared the urgency of their quest,” Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical Fides et Ratio. (Chapter III, 24) Whether man is aware of it or not, it is God himself, his Creator, whom he seeks in the depths of his heart. God? Does God exist? And if so, which God is the true God? Is it even possible to find the “right” God among so many religions?

Each religious community claims to show the true path to God and has its own ideas about his existence. In addition, the place of birth and the culture into which one is born influence individual beliefs significantly. Does this mean that you are born into your faith? If you were born in Europe, for example, you are very likely to become a Christian. If you come from Morocco, you are likely to be Muslim. And a Thai will probably profess Buddhism. And yet, it is also true that there is one God.

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

People of different faiths can enrich each other if they treat each other with respect and humility. Mutual appreciation broadens our perspectives and contributes to peace in society. But this does not mean Christians cannot confidently stand by our faith and courageously defend our convictions. But why should Christianity, in particular, be true? Is there a universal and absolute truth, anyway? Yes, because: “If something is true, then it must be true for all people and at all times.” (Fides et Ratio, Chapter III, 27)

Jesus Christ is the Messiah long awaited by Israel. Centuries before his arrival, the prophets had already predicted Christ. The great founders of religion, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed, do not appear to have any prior religious tradition. No prophets announced them in advance. Christians, on the other hand, see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament about the Messiah. Christ not only proclaims the truth; he formally identifies himself with the truth. He says: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) If what Jesus says is true, then this one way is worth knowing!

How does Christianity differ from other religions?

In Christianity, the personal relationship with Jesus Christ is fundamental. In him, God himself came into the world. In Jesus, the invisible God became visible. He became a human being like us. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a famous German philosopher, understood Christianity as the “religion of freedom” in which man has infinite value before God, and God appears to him as the familiar – as the truth.

Christians do not allow themselves to be determined by cosmic energies, as they know they are safe in the hands of a personal God. The Bible proclaims the good news of God incarnate! God, who became a child, who allowed himself to be crucified for our sins, who even allows himself to be transformed into a piece of bread in the Sacrament of the Eucharist so that we can encounter him and have communion with him. God invented the Eucharist so he could always be with us – as close as possible. In the flesh – in the truest sense of the word.

Choose God. It is worth it.

Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of the 17th century, was a convinced Catholic. In his “Pensées”, he tried to present belief in God as a reasonable bet. He argued: “If, at the end of my life, it turns out that God exists, eternal bliss awaits me. It is the reward for having believed in God without proof. But if there is no God, then I have gained nothing, but have also lost nothing. Is it not better to believe in God? And now, let’s consider the other possibility. If it turns out at the end of your life that you were right, what have you gained? Nothing. But if there is a God after all, you have a problem: He will ask you why you didn’t believe in him. That will embarrass you. So, it’s better to believe that God exists. Because if he exists, you can gain an infinite amount. But if there is no God, you lose nothing.”

What an interesting argument! And what about you? Do you believe that God exists? That he loves you? And that he longs to meet you?