Following the Way of Jesus in Heathen Christianity

How do those following Heathen Christianity understand following the Way of Jesus?

The Way is our guiding star:
to open ourselves to prayer,
practice mercy,
challenge oppression,
make peace,
and crave compassionate justice.

While following the Way, we dance with other divinities and travelers that we encounter, being together for as long as our paths intertwine.

We embrace both skepticism and wonder as we wrestle with ideas about Jesus' nature and our relationship to the holy. We share ideals, knowing we will struggle and need one another’s care.

Jesus was an oppressed Jewish person under Roman imperial power in a time of upheaval and rebellion. He prayed for comfort, inspiration, and resolve. He was at home amongst sex workers, outcasts, and those who lived hard. His life wasn’t neutral; it embodied solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized.

The myths and legends of Jesus offer different understandings of incarnation and his relationship with the God he calls Abba. In these stories, we encounter Jesus embodying sacred presence by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and challenging corrupt leaders. We encounter a God who desires a deep relationship with us and the world.

Jesus' sacred presence didn’t end at his execution. In the legends, he went into the underworld to be with the departed, rose from the dead, and ascended to the heavens. These stories show that in suffering, despair, and torment, the divine is always seeking us. In prayer, we can connect with that presence.

Some take these stories literally, some as myths to live by; many are still seeking and changing. Our gatherings hold those tensions with care.

This is the Way we follow.

Jesus’ life and teachings call us into presence, solidarity, and care for one another and the world.

We follow through prayer, mutual aid, reaching out to our neighbors, protesting, and advocating for a more loving world.