It's Monday morning, Jan. 3, 2000. It is the first “work day” of this century and my computer is working just beautifully.

In preparation for the new century, we had bought several jugs of water, and caught up lots of water in barrels and other containers. We try to keep bread and canned goods in the house. There's a smoker on the back porch and a couple of lanterns in the garage. Living as far out in the country as we do, we try not to let our gas tanks get too low.

Most of the above is ordinary winter preparedness for us, but I suppose we had done some degree of preparation for possible Y2K problems.

One thing we did not do to prepare for the transition from the 20th to the 21st century is read any of the doom's day materials in the print media, or tune in to any of the television or radio programs where we were promised that doom and gloom would be the topic of the day.

Life's too short, and though I often complain that my faith is not what I want — and think I need — it to be, times like these remind me it is more than enough.

My faith is built on a rock. A rock that will stand.

Do you remember Matthew's account of the conversation between Jesus and Peter about faith. Recall how Jesus had asked his followers, “Who do people say the son of man is?”

They had answered with various opinions from the crowd. Then he said to them, “Who do you say I am?

That's what it always comes down to, you know. We can't ride the winds of public opinion forever. Sooner or later we have to know some things for ourselves.

Peter replied to that timeless question asked by the future messiah and savior of the world, “Thou are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”

That's about as cool as it gets. Yesterday, today and forever. That is the answer to the most important question I have ever asked myself.

Who was and is Jesus?

There's never been a harder question for me to answer. I grew up with opinions about Jesus being household conversation. I had Jesus spoon-fed to me, and shoved down my throat from the cradle. I was both curious and resentful. I cared enough to want to know more, but I wanted to know it for myself. I trusted no one's opinions, or promises, concerning Jesus Christ.

So fed up was I of all the contradictions I saw and heard that I decided at 18 years old to just write Jesus out of my quest for faith. Then a gay friend of mine reminded me that it wasn't just the Bible that spoke of Jesus. Appeared he was doing a lot of searching of his own, and was a little bit ahead of me at the time. “Much historical data supports those biblical stories,” he said.

“If you are looking for truth, then you have to be realistic. You can't deny what you don't understand. You just have to pray and search and wait for understanding.” That was his advice. It was good advice at that time. It is good advice today.

I was baptized again when I was 23 to try to wash away all the guilt I felt over trying to deny the reality of Jesus. But the baptism didn't help. No more than it had when I was 16 and wanted so desperately to believe.

No, it took something more. It took seeing unconditional love in action before I believed. Once I saw that, and recognized its source, all doubts dissipated. Instantly. And I believed.

I knew with Peter of 200 centuries ago that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I began to read the recorded words of Jesus with a different outlook. He and all that he stood for became real to me.

I believe him when he said, “...Be on the alert, for you do not know when you Lord is coming.”

I believe he meant it when he said we should not worry about tomorrow, but live one day a time.

Does that mean we should not plan or prepare for tomorrow? Shucks, no! Only a fool could live in this world and observe even a little bit of nature and think we should not plan for tomorrow. But we must live today. And when planning and preparing for tomorrow prevents us from living today, something is wrong, as in way out of balance.

Happy New Year to all of you and God bless you in your personal searches. May the answers you seek come in due time.

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