I found that for me lots of religions had good things to say, but I kept being drawn back to the stories about Jesus; I found them and the things he taught really compelling.
I didn't grow up in a religious family, none of my friends or family went to church. But, like a lot of people, as I got older I began to feel like there must be more to life than all the things I was doing.
Life was OK.I was in the main happy and fulfilled to a point. But always I had this nagging feeling that there must be more to life: what is the meaning of it all?" The questions I know most people ask themselves at some point.
I was aware of Jesus of course, but my belief was that he was simply a 'nice idea'. He was probably a good teacher who had some good stories to tell, but that was about it.
I have always been quite an inquisitive person, so in my quest to find meaning in life I headed to the internet and also read lots of books on various religions, trying to find answers to all the questions I had about faith and religion.
I found that for me lots of religions had good things to say, but I kept being drawn back to the stories about Jesus; I found them and the things he taught really compelling. I spent a long time looking at the evidence for the existence of this man and found that the more I dug, the more I believed that his claim to be God was true and Christianity made sense to me.
A friend invited me along to an Alpha Course at Woodlands Church, whose podcasts I had begun to listen to online. The Alpha Course was described as a good place, to learn and ask questions about the Christian faith regardless of what belief or background you came from.
What I loved about Alpha was that we all got to meet every week, eat a lovely meal together, listen to a talk and then explore in small groups whatever was on our mind about the talk or faith in general. No one shied away from any question and we were able to debate it together. Everyone loved our time together and I made many friends, some of whom became Christians and others wholeft still undecided, and both outcomes were held in equal respect and value.
Deciding to become a Christian and follow Jesus has been the greatest decision I ever made. From the moment I turned to Christ, I have felt different inside and feel like I am a much more softer person emotionally. When I hear about injustice and suffering I am often moved to tears and want to do something to change what I have just heard about, rather than it just washing over me as somebody else's issue and not my problem. I have found myself helping improve communities in Bristol and have even goneout to Zimbabwe as part of a team.
But more importantly I have a relationship with Jesus that means everything to me. It's hard to do it justice in these few lines: all I will say is go and find out for yourself. I am sure you will not regret it.
About the author
Jason works for a manufacturing company and lives in Bristol.
See also:
Bristol Alpha courses Facebook page