Through our baptism, we are asked the following: Are we living among God’s faithful people? Are we proclaiming the good news of God in Christ through word and deed? Are we serving all people, following the example of Jesus? Are we striving for justice and peace in all the earth?
Perhaps it would be good to examine our lives and our current values alongside both the convictions of those who have helped shape us and our baptismal promises. In doing so, our own convictions rise to the surface of our day-to-day lives.
Our convictions, our core values, represent our faith. The ways in which we use our voices, our money, our time, and our talents say something about the God in whom we place our trust. Standing for our faith can sometimes feel very risky and uncomfortable. Claimed in the waters of baptism, though, we remember that we are loved by the One who stood for us.
This message is adapted from “Faith reflections: Faith in action” written by Emily K. Hartner that first appeared in the May 2014 issue of Café magazine.