Connecting the Dots: Exploring Theology, Faith, and Global Community

This essay, titled "Connecting the Dots," presents a theology student's personal reflection on their Christian faith, identity, and purpose in life. The student, raised in a Christian family, discusses the influence of biblical teachings and religious literature on their beliefs, including faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the importance of love and faith. The essay explores the student's religious convictions, highlighting the impact of Christianity on their identity, relationships, and environmental consciousness. The student also reflects on how they navigate challenges from those with different beliefs, and how they find purpose within an interconnected global community, emphasizing the importance of prayer, pursuing passions, and helping others. The essay concludes with a reaffirmation of the student's devotion to Christian principles and the impact of faith in overcoming life's challenges.

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Connecting the Dots – Theology
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Instructor's Name
Date

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Connecting the Dots – Theology
Introduction
I was raised in a fairly strict Christian family, and growing up, I was never taught to
think for myself. I followed the teachings of the bible. As a result, they shaped my whole
perspective about Christianity. Besides, I read a lot about Christianity from literary works of
authors, including Michelle Simpson and Francine Rivers, which increased my understanding
of the Christian religion. I learned from other people how Christian values influenced them to
do what is right and moral. I gained virtues such as love, honesty, kindness, and patience that
have shaped me to be the compassionate and loving person I am today. My strong belief in
Christianity will help me answer the questions as I believe that the bible's teachings can
influence someone’s life. Besides, my beliefs influence my interaction with my family and
friends. I wish to influence my community at large by becoming an influential person in
religion like Ronnie Floyd.
Religious Convictions
I strongly believe in the word of God, which is the bible and its teachings. I also
believe in His son Jesus Christ who was crucified to save us from our sins. Through the
bible's teachings, I believe in God’s story of creation from the first to the last day when he
created man, unlike other people, especially scientists who believe that man evolved from an
ape. Additionally, I believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin Mary, and during his time on
earth, he performed miracles like walking in water and raising the dead by use of the powers
of the holy spirit. As a result, he gained many followers, who willingly followed him to learn
more about the word of God and help him spread the Gospel (Kaiser, 2014).

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Additionally, I have strong faith, and I believe that God can make anything happen if
you truly believe in Him. The bible teaches Christians about the importance of faith. For
example the book of Matthew chapter talks about Jesus’ miracle in the town of Capernaum.
In this chapter, Jesus healed a paralyzed man who was brought to him by his friends. The
paralytic man and his friends had a strong faith that Jesus had the healing power, and he
could heal the man. Jesus healed the man because of his faith and that of his friends and
because of their actions, whereby they put a hole through the roof to lower him down to
ensure he was at Jesus’ feet. Through the teachings of this miracle, I am convinced that faith
can move mountains as the bible teaches us and that God has the power to fulfil our needs
when we lay them unto Him.
I also believe in love as a key attribute in Christianity. The increased belief in love
results from the teachings of the bible in the book of 1st john 4:8, which states that ‘whoever
who does not love does not know God; for God is love.’ The chapter talks about the Agape
love that God has towards humankind, and He commands us believers to have the same
immeasurable love for everyone, whether they are believers or non-believers (Himes, 2014).
Following the teachings of the book of 1st John chapter 4, it is extremely difficult for
Christians to sin against God or other people. Besides, it is easy to win the souls of non-
believers by spreading the love of God. The book of Luke 6:35 also teaches us to love our
enemies and do good to them. Spreading love and doing good to those who do bad to us will
help soften their hearts and move them closer to God.
Identity
Christianity is the central part of my identity. As I grew up in a devoted Christian
family, I engaged in various Christian practices increased my understanding of the religion. It
is the major factor that has shaped my character as a Christian in contemporary society.

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Christianity encourages us, believers, to have faith in God, and He will lead us to great things
in life (Borg, 2009). As a result, faith has enabled me to lead a good life that has impacted
and continues to impact other people. The bible’s teaching of agape love has taught me to be
more loving and compassionate to others regardless of their origin or religious beliefs. As a
result, I have been able to make others happy and positively impacted their lives.
Faith has brought numerous benefits to my life. Believing in a superior being has
caused me to develop inner strength, and as a result, I have no fear because I know God is in
control. Believing in the word of God has also helped me overcome different struggles in life,
such as stress and anxiety, by turning to God during those difficult times. God has been able
to offload my burdens, causing me to live a peaceful life. Besides, faith has taught me to
serve the less fortunate as the bible teaches us that whoever gives the poor lends it to God. As
a result, I have witnessed great things in life, which I can testify were through the power of
God. Faith has also helped me discover my purpose in life by providing many opportunities
that have helped me exploit my potentials in different areas in life.
Despite the wide acceptance of my Christian beliefs from family and friends, it has
not been easy to interact with other people. I have faced rejection and ridicule from other
family members and friends from different religions and with different beliefs. Several of
them are anti-Christians, and they claim that Christians are less informed as we blindly
follow doctrines without much understanding of the same doctrines. Besides, non-Christians
believe that Christianity is all about believing in non-existent things and not the way of life
(Borg, 2009). The rejection from close people matches the rejection that Christians faced in
Ancient Rome. However, during the Roman Empire, the rejection led to Christian
persecution, which cannot be the case in the contemporary world due to freedom of religion.
Despite the rejection, I cannot stop believing in the word of God just like Jesus never did
when faced with ultimate rejection in His hometown.

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Relationships to others and the Environment
As Christians, we are obligated to relate well with one another. I have a good
relationship with my family, friends, and neighbors. I always act in their well-being due to
the amount of love I have for them. I draw my teachings from the bible, which teaches us to
love others as Christ loved us. Besides, in the bible, Christ laid his life for us as a sign of
love, which means that I can lay down my life for any of them due to the amount of love I
have for them. Additionally, I get along with most people close to me and am welcoming to
everyone. I follow the teachings of the bible that encourages believers to be welcoming to
one another as Christ has welcomed us. The bible also teaches us to show hospitality to one
another, making it easy for me to host anyone at my house without judgment.
We also bear one another’s burden in the community we live in. Bearing one
another’s burden helps us cover all kinds of needs facing various people. For example, when
someone within the community has a sick family member and cannot be able to raise hospital
bills on their own, we come together and contribute to raising the amount needed to clear the
bill. Consequently, we come together during happy moments to celebrate weddings,
anniversaries, or birthdays. As a result, we have been able to stay united and encourage more
people to offload their burdens on us as a community. Additionally, unity enables us to live
peacefully with one another, just as the bible commands. During happy and sad moments,
coming together prevents us from arguing or having conflicts with each other, thus increasing
peace in our community.
I am very conscious of the environment as it is God’s vineyard. Through the book of
Matthew 21:33-46, we understand that we do not own the world. The world is God’s
vineyard, which is given to us for safekeeping, and we must tend to the garden. Besides,
humankind was given authority over all creations, and we must protect the creation (Bible

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Gateway Passage, n.d.). As a Christian and a believer, it is my responsibility to conserve the
environment in order to prevent the extinction of endangered species. For that reason, I am
actively involved in stewardship in my local church to ensure cleanliness standards are met,
and plants are watered to prevent them from dying. Besides, I am an active member of the
environmental club that increases awareness about environmental issues such as deforestation
and releasing sewage systems to water bodies, thus killing sea creatures.
Finding Purpose in an Interconnected Global Community
I can find a purpose in this interconnected global community by first praying for
divine direction from God. The book of Ephesian 2:10 states, ‘We are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’
Through this verse, we recognize that God calls His believers for a purpose: to do the good
work. Besides, the works are tailor-made for each one of the believers according to their
capabilities. According to the bible, we are all equipped with all the requirements necessary
to fulfil our purposes. Therefore, as Christians, we should strive to find that purpose. For that
reason, Christians should pray and fast to God to help them find a purpose. As a Christian, I
should walk in the strength of God and allow the holy spirit to lead me towards a sign from
God.
Besides, I can find a purpose through living a purposeful driven life. Worldly things
like money and power do not matter in the long term, and that is why we should find our
purpose and ensure we accomplish it before we face death. I should pursue my passions to
ensure I lead a purposeful life. Pursuing my passion will help keep my motivation at a high
level, which will motivate me to find other solutions. Besides, defining what is important in
life will help me eliminate irrelevant activities that would drag me backward. Additionally,
helping others can help me live a purpose-driven life by bringing a sense of fulfillment and

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enjoyment. I can also focus on one task at a time and ensure the task is accomplished before
moving to the next task. As a result, I will be able to identify a task/s that is more fulfilling
than others.
I can also find a purpose by working on the promises of God. For example, the book
of Jeremiah 29:11 states, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good
and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ From this verse, we understand that
God has a purpose for each of us, and it is upon us to find that purpose. Therefore, as a
Christian, I should review different verses in the bible that talk about God’s promises to
identify the ones that apply to my life and write them down to help identify the most
applicable promises that yield the most results. The promises that yield the most results for a
significant number of people would be considered my life’s purpose.
Conclusion
I am a devoted Christian who believes in the bible and its teachings. I believe in God
and His son Jesus Christ who came to earth to die for our sins. I believe in the identity of
Jesus Christ, in love, and I believe that faith can move mountains. I am a strong believer, and
faith plays a significant role in my life as believing in God has helped me overcome various
challenges in life. As a believer, I also relate well with others as we love each other and bear
each other’s burden as the bible commands us to do. I also participate in environmental
conservation to preserve God’s creation. However, to find my purpose in the community, I
have to pray for direction from God, live a purpose-driven life, and work in the promises of
God.

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References
Bible gateway passage: Genesis 1 - New revised standard version Catholic edition. (n.d.).
Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
version=NRSVCE&search=Genesis%201
Borg, M. J. (2009). The heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a life of faith. Zondervan.
Himes, M. J. (2014). Finding God in all things: A sacramental worldview and its
effects. Becoming Beholders: Cultivating Sacramental Imagination and Actions in
College Classrooms, 3-17.
Kaiser, R. B. (2014). Inside the jesuits: How pope Francis is changing the Church and the
world. Rowman & Littlefield.