The pedestal underneath reads “Inigo becomes St. Ignatius--founder of the Jesuits.”

A brief history. Inigo is a Spanish soldier--valiant, honored, vain. He’s seriously injured in battle, and he encounters Christianity during his recovery. After months of wandering, praying, and searching, Inigo lays down his sword, dedicating himself as a soldier of Christ. He goes on to found the Jesuits, who defend the Church during the Reformation and who have since become the largest order of Catholic priests.

In the moment pictured here, Ignatius surrenders more than his sword. He surrenders his will, his very soul. He offers up his desires, his vanity, his ego, to something far greater. What a powerful moment--a moment of sacrifice, and in turn, of transformation.

I think in many ways this is the point of Lent, indeed the very point of Christianity. It is Christ’s sacrifice that makes Christianity. It is the surrender of power--the surrender and submission of the will to something greater. It is the act of “thy will be done” that we remember in Lent.

What a radical idea, asking nothing less than to sacrifice our entire selves to the great unknown. Giving nothing less than utter transformation.

"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it." -Luke 17:33

Unless it was all a lie in which case its an act of utter foolishness irregardless of the outcome. If God were more forth coming with me than ancient texts maybe I'd be less sceptical. Would I die so that God may live? Love him as he supposedly loves me? At this point in my life I'd have to say no. I have too many grudges against him.

However if you can make that leap of faith then yes transformation follows because its almost like taking on a new personality. Your life, your decisions, will revolve around that faith.

In your mind, what would He need to do to overcome the skepticism? Pardon this question if you took offense or sense skepticism as to whether you have an answer for that.

Having a rather unique perspective on this, this surrender is the most difficult of them all. Even giving in to Death is easier by comparison. No one can communicate the true effects of such a transformation because it goes beyond oral distinction.

That is a great truth; what you wrote in the last sentence. Still, it is only the cornerstone of the pyramid. There is much more building to occur. And we all have grudges and resentments, even against those we love. Perhaps those are even the worst ones because of the strongest emotions.

Well, I think the point stands even outside the particular context of religion.

You may have seen the following advertisement for the US Marines.

You see a man standing on a lawn, then the camera shoots through the earth, focusing on earth's fiery core. It shows then a raw rock being chipped away, forged to become a shining diamond. The final shot is a group of marines in full uniform.

I think the military is a great example--there is substantial sacrifice asked of those who become soldiers, but the sacrifice results in substantial transformation.

I think this kind of sacrifice-transformation paradigm is increasingly important given a societal mentality that is increasingly pleasure-focused. We are more encouraged to ease our suffering, to maximize our immediate pleasure, rather than to sacrifice (something, anything) in order to achieve some intentional, meaningful transformation.

I think this a gift that many religions give to us--that is, the teaching of sacrifice. That being said, however, I do not think that this can only be learned/taught via religious institutions or practices.

Well for starters I've gotten bored with the one sided conversation. Noone should have to strain to hear God yet so many seem to be hearing different things so he certainly isn't talking in a normal pitch if he is talking to anyone. Who wants to spend a lifetime interpreting static? If he's God then he could do a lot better. If he wants to be loved above all others irregardless, then its expected by me that if he's a just God, that he be a known participant in the relationship with all. If he's not just then he's a tyrant & I can't be bothered. Mankind's had enough of those. I'll pass on eternity. One life is more than I asked for. Maybe I'm living the ruined ends of life as we know it, maybe not, but I'm not overly impressed as it just seems to be for the sheer sake of being. All creation keeps him so busy that he comes off as indifferent? Existence is not enough for all eternity to me. Not enough to love him as he demands in scripture. I want to be loved, not the promise of love. Indifference is colder than hatred. I've seen no evidence that he knows me personally.

I'm sorry, but your entire post is made moot by the fact that you used the word "irregardless."

Been mulling this one over a bit for the past couple of days.

There are viewpoints to consider, for each of us are going to be with having our own perspectives.

As a parent, I think I can relate to God in that he wants His children to have free will, to allow them to grow on their own and become themselves instead of what he "raises" or "directs" them to become. He isn't a parent in the sense of buying us things, having those important Father-child discussions or being there physically to protect us. Hmmm, maybe that's why we do have parents... and He serves a different role. Either way, if anyone believes in God or knows their parents, they know they are loved by Him and them.

As a creator, He may not be totally indifferent. There are so many things we do not understand or see. When we do find something new, we are amazed. It seems that science has made so many new and wonderful discoveries... and just begun to scratch the surface. I'm even going to go so far as saying He created us with an important ingredient... of being basically discontent. That could be the biggest travesty, for a nation or race of people to become as content as the Romans were over their mighty empire. His hand may even be guiding events.

Like children, we want to believe in magic. Call it also by names like miracles, unnatural phenomena, witchcraft or mysticism... we want to find some loose way of defining the unexplicably unexplainable. We want to believe in fairy tales, to be able to pursue dreams and to be able to create wonderous things in this world, ranging from a simple, powerful painting to the Hanging Gardens.

As scientists, we want hard facts. We want the truth, to understand the dynamics of the universe so we can abide by it's laws and achieve our goals. Science seems to present the idea that all the answers can be found. This includes ways to extend our lifetimes, to reach out across the great expanses of space or to see the harmonics of Nature in string-theory.... even to see Time not a something linear or unidirectional.

If there is a God in your mind, did He create us in His image? If He can be jealous, I seem to think that is a most human trait. Did he populate the Earth for his entertainment? Nah, don't think that's it, personally. Was He lonely? Did He want something to love... or someones?? Wonder if that presented a dilemma... Him having to stand back and watch it all unfold. Think God might be the ultimate definition of "tough love"?

I don't care or mind what others believe. I'm still doubting about so many things and not thoroughly understanding many, many more as to religion. I'm odd.... but no one cares or minds, at least I hope. :)

And ask yourself this, if you were God, how would you do differently?? Think of it as a "Bruce Almighty" if you were in those shoes. The most apparent moral I'd gotten from that movie was that you CAN NOT MAKE someone love you. Gee... guess God may not have that ability either.. or doesn't abuse it. Because that would be the easiest solution, wouldn't it? To brainwash everyone to thinking We all love him... become his docile servants... perfect in every way, because He deems what we will do and will not... to be human robots doing only what our programming tells us.

Now... maybe that provides some inkling of understanding of free will. There is no way anyone can tell us how to talk with God, in two-way conversations. Maybe He is busy. Or maybe if they did pass on the secrets for communicating, we weren't listening to how they begin... or maybe we as a people have stopped listening to Him??

How am I supposed to see myself as omniscent? We never got to finish eating all the forbidden fruit. If I could see everything I'd probably rid free will as the path of least suffering.

Christianity teaches me that God made everything out of love. He doesn't need our love but he gave us free will so we could love him freely. Those who don't love him above all other gods, above all other pleasures, those who refuse to do his will when commanded, suffer. He is not to be tested. He demands exclusive worship. He wants us to love him freely, not coerced. My problem with him is that I don't see him making an effort for me to know him in order to love him. He knows what's in our hearts and we're to talk to him. To date my conversations have been one sided. I've gotten disenchanted with a God who comes across as indifferent to me. I'm also disenchanted with life as its only purpose seems to be to exist just for the sake of existence, generally speaking. But as I've said before maybe I'm missing something that others see, sense, or know. I guess if I'm given the choice of what my soul or essence ends up as to date, I'll choose empty space. In the mean time I'll hang around & see if this changes. I probably should explore other religions. It would really hurt my Mom though.

Nevin, irregardless because life is not fair. Its a personal perspective not a debate.

Nevin's point is that "irregardless" is not a word. Regardless is the word you're looking for. Minor details...

I understand your doubts and criticism about religion in general and Christianity in particular.

For me, a lot of those problems fall to the wayside when I conceive of God as love itself. I believe in love, not because it is some grand, great, thing that I was taught to fall to my knees to. Rather, the love that I have known in my life has made me fall to my knees in pleasure, in ecstasy, in gratitude. Yes, love HAS demanded much of me. Love has demanded that I love in return--not in a forceful, threatening way, but in a way that HUMILIATES me (that is, makes me humble).

It speaks not primarily through an institution or a text or a voice in the air, but through experience, through the melodies--the dissonance and consonance, of life itself.

Maybe that's a good thing... not having eaten all of it. And yeah, there are some that take the path of least suffering or of giving up free will.

Sittin' here thinking and remembering back, there were a few times when I challenged God. Was daring Him to strike me down or give me the worst. Before then and a few times since, there was something going on that kept me from killing my fool self.

Lessee... almost collided with a train, almost drove into a black horse at night, almost slid off the side of a mountain road and run head-on into a logging truck, had firearms go off recklessly, got so drunk I couldn't walk back to the safe end of a pier, almost hanged myself goofin' around and....

Hmm, that's 7 or so. Maybe I'm like a cat. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to have two-sided conversations with Him yet. Maybe He's keeping me alive for a reason, but am still so dense I don't have a really good clue.

Looking solely at My life, I can't see any purpose He would have. Have done some good things for people, have probably been a stepping stone for others to find a better path (by affirmation through negation) and might have even saved a life or two. Nearly witnessing a pedestrian getting hit by an automobile, I did hurry to the nearest phone.

Yeah, would love to see a God more proactive in the world.. or maybe just can't see how He is. Would love to have him give Me the answers, like some kid doing his homework and not understanding how to arrive at it. Want to have chats with Him, ask Him tons of questions.

Or maybe He doesn't exist and those little signs or majour miracles are just coincidences. If it's just luck, I'm probably going to have a piano fall on top of my head tomorrow. :)