The Christian journey is one of constant transformation, a ceaseless striving towards holiness as believers seek to align their lives with the teachings of Christ. This transformation is not a momentary event but a lifelong process, involving spiritual growth, moral refinement, and the courage to face challenges that test one’s faith. Holiness is not just a state of being; it is an active pursuit—one that requires humility, perseverance, and grace.
A good life and a holy life are not always the same, as a “good life” may have multiple meanings. “Good” could mean a life without problems, and lots of material comforts, however, Jesus did not promise his followers an easy life without challenges, but he did promise us his eternal presence. A good life could also mean a virtuous life, where we live in accord with God’s desires for us. Sometimes these two interpretations of “good” can conflict with one another and we then need a way of finding out what it is that God wants of us and for us in particular circumstances.
Holiness is also not the same as perfect or sinless, as we will only know perfection in heaven. Nelson Mandela, echoing the Christian tradition said that he was not a saint, unless a saint is a sinner who continues trying. That is far closer to the Christian definition of holiness.
How can we be holy? Or more particularly, how do we know what holiness is for us? Christians turn to four sources of knowledge to help us:
- Sacred texts are the scriptures which have a special sacred claim on the Christian community.
- Tradition represents the lived wisdom of the Christian Community.
- Rational reflection on the normatively human includes the human rights discourse, moral philosophy, the tradition of natural law philosophy.
- The Human Experience sector involves not just an individual’s own experience but the whole range of scientific and social scientific disciplines that help us to organise and interpret data drawn from our human experience.
Living a “good” life requires us to actively engage with the Church and with the world, and it requires the hard inner work of reflection. And there are no real shortcuts, not even the great commands of loving God and one another, because that raises the inevitable question: what is love?
