Three years ago I wrote a post about my - to me shocking - realization that the idea of a Second Coming of Christ was Not a part of his teaching, and had - in effect - displaced Jesus's core teaching of the possibility of resurrection for those who 'followed' Him.
I still feel much the same as I did then; and am still shocked by what I regard as the distortion or even omission of (what I believe to be) Jesus's overwhelmingly primary teaching concerning eternal life beyond mortal death.
I am especially shocked by the unacknowledged implication that Jesus failed to attain his goals 'the first time round' and therefore needs to return and 'finish the job'.
And/or that Jesus - despite multiple protestations that he was not a King 'of this world' - had promised to come back and perfect this earthly life.
But I also realize that this is of no interest to most Christians, and indeed utterly unconvincing to them - since they read the Bible (or take their understanding of the Christian faith) on the basis of an utterly different set of assumptions; so that this difference of understanding is incommensurable.
Nonetheless; I find it deeply reassuring to believe that - in fact - Jesus's core and essential message was very simple - simple enough to be described in a couple of sentences and to be understood by a young child.
This simple gift from Jesus seems to be exactly what we most need in the world now; and an offer that would also be most likely to lead to salvation beyond mortal death - even for those who die knowing nothing, or only falsehoods and slanders, about Christ.
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