I finished my Bachelor’s pastoral education last Fall 22. I had my last exam for my Bachelor’s Degree, where I had an oral exam. We sat together and the three professors asked me some particular questions about my thesis. One of the questions I was asked was: What would you use from your thesis in order to make changes in a church or in a ministry? I answered: It's not about change, it's about refocusing on the word of God alone.

So why have I said about refocusing on the Bible? We live nowadays in a very open and free century, probably there will be a group who might disagree with me now. However, I want to explain more about it, what I mean by “refocusing”.

Today we have a lot more rights regarding how we can live our lives. People have much more freedom in speaking up and making a statement where a certain group supports it, whether it is a good idea or not. Society urges after a utopian dream, in other words, where everything should be liberalized and tolerated. What about an opinion from someone who remains always the same, is almighty and the Creator of all? God’s opinion and structure are written down for us and preserved in the bible from the Old Testament to New Testament. People might disagree with my belief in God and I respect that, but I want to take a chance to explain what I mean by that.

Opinions are formed through our experiences, emotions and feelings constantly changing day by day! Because of that, our opinions are not a reliable form of truth.

Think about it.

When you were a teenager and you had your first boy/girlfriend, today as an adult you can look back and wonder how the heck you ended up in that weird relationship…feelings, opinions and attractions all change with time…

So then, why would I want to change the truth if God who has always been the same, has already finished His work through Jesus Christ? In general, let`s be honest, we tend to change the truth to match our current opinion. We need to learn how to be focused only on Jesus Christ and His work in us. That's why I came up with this idea about a neutral place where we can all sit together—all kinds of people with different backgrounds, passions, and beliefs—and gather together with willingness and humility to refocus on the truth and His word.

Now, you're probably asking yourself, ‘‘how do you know that there is a single truth for all individuals?’’.

The pub allows people to ask these kinds of questions. I understand these questions because over the years I have also challenged my beliefs by investigating the Christian faith. Our beliefs are shaped through the communities we place ourselves in that validate our own opinions. Therefore, to better understand where your beliefs come from, you can ask yourself the following questions:

How does your community talk about their beliefs?
How do they “win” followers?
How do they treat other “enemies”?
What is love for them?
How do they treat you and why?
How do they communicate in a debate?
How do they love and treat their neighbors, strangers, and themselves?
What do they understand about “God”?
What does their lifestyle look like?

Reflect and Refocus

We should sit together and challenge one another with these kinds of questions to refocus on the one truth.

For us humans it's easier to avoid, separate and isolate in order to live in a world that best suits us.

That is why the pub is such a huge passion of mine. Instead of avoiding those who don't believe in the same thing, I want to welcome everyone to sit at ONE table, to experience His love and goodwill for everyone.

To finish up, my next chapter is going to explain that since the beginning of humanity, we have always struggled to live peacefully among each other.

It’s Not About Change, It’s About Refocus.

The Identity