Sharing how God saved you is a rewarding exercise, but it can also be challenging. Some people love to tell the story—but some of us find it difficult. This isn’t because we are ashamed of Christ, though. It’s because how it happened was kind of… weird.
Recently, Emily (my lovely wife) felt compelled to start writing down her story. She had planned on asking our church if she could share it there. Instead, Christianity Today got in touch and asked if she’d be interested in sharing it in the testimonies segment of the magazine.
Her story appears in the October 2015 issue, and is now available for you to read online:
Heading to college in London, Ontario, I was eager to be a grown-up. And the ultimate marker of my new independence, I thought, would be joining the Bahá’í faith. A local assembly met in Caledonia, and some of my closest friends were raised in Bahá’í homes, so I was already familiar with the faith. I remember leaving Bahá’í events buoyed by the leaders’ optimism about the future: no more war, poverty, or racism. One language, one currency, and equality of the sexes. It sounded perfect.…
According to the tenets of the Bahá’í faith, all major religions before 1863 were founded by “Manifestations of God.” So Adam, Noah, Krishna, Moses, Abraham, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and the Báb are all manifestations, with Bahá’u’lláh being the final and complete manifestation. The most appealing belief to me: a new order led by Bahá’í leaders that would usher in world peace.
Since I had managed to be so good at everything else, belonging to the religion that ensured perfect order seemed the right step. But I quickly found myself falling short of its requirements. I struggled to pray the long, obligatory morning prayer. I skipped ceremonial washings because I didn’t understand how to perform them.
It didn’t help that I had started dating a non-Bahá’í a few months after joining.
Sharing a personal story like this is not easy, but I am very proud of Emily for following the prompting she felt to do it. Please read her story and if you believe it will be a blessing to someone you know, I hope you’ll share it with them.
This got linked somewhere else in my feed today, so I’ve only just read it. Please thank Emily for it – it was a fantastic read and a great encouragement 🙂