I grew up in the Baptist Church of a little farming community where I accepted Jesus at an early age, spent a decade in ministry, but left my adopted Christian beliefs in my late forties. This led me to a vastly superior story of Jesus than my childhood Jesus. Today I follow Jesus and his timeless, universal, non religious teachings putting no importance whatsoever on believing any doctrines that make up Christian religions. His teachings were not about BELIEVING stories and doctrines to escape hellfire but rather DOING the things he taught.

Practicing Jesus’ teachings opens the kingdom of heaven which is bliss and peace hidden within each of us. Teachings like treating others as we would want to be treated, forgiving, cultivating service and compassion and the rest can be distilled down to simply, love one another.

Today an awakening is being experienced by people of all races, religions, nationalities and cultures. Christian religions have failed in teaching us to find the Kingdom within and manifest peace into the earth. Maybe its time to rethink the story of Jesus without looking through the lenses of Christian doctrine and dogma.