To believe is not to close one’s eyes to questions or to abandon reason in favour of illusory spiritual comfort.
For me, Christianity is not just an inherited tradition or a set of mechanically recited dogmas. It is an encounter with a truth that can withstand honest scrutiny as well as suffering or uncertainty.
It is precisely because I take my reasoning and questioning seriously that I decided to explore the criticisms of one of the best-known sceptics in the pages of Signs of the Times. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels and thinks this way. Each of the authors who sign the articles in this collection has raised legitimate questions over the years. What we have discovered together, however, is that at the close of each question, we have found a Jesus who remains more alive than the challenges that He faces. Jesus does not shy away from confrontation; on the contrary, His answers transcend the limits of those who would reduce Him to a mere man or a mere mistake.
Reason is a necessary tool, but it is not sufficient. Revelation brings the dimension that opens new horizons. That is why my faith is not just blind acceptance. It is a dynamic understanding, an ongoing dialogue between revelation and reason guided by the Holy Spirit. In the face of critics who have questioned either the historicity, divinity, morality, or wisdom of Jesus, I have been challenged not only to find answers, but to explore more deeply the reasons why my faith remains grounded. Is Jesus a historical figure? No doubt, but not just a man in history. Is He wise? Yes, but not in the limited sense of human thought; rather, the kind of wisdom that comes from a love that transcends logic. Is He moral? Absolutely, but it is a morality that demands self-sacrifice, not just obedience to the law. Is He divine? Undoubtedly—yet not a remote and impersonal divinity but one who incarnates in human frailty, who brings heaven and earth together, who defies the limits of the transcendent to dwell among us. His divinity is the perfect tension between the transcendent and the immanent, between eternal greatness and human vulnerability.
To be a Christian is not to have all the answers, but to know where to look for them. It means understanding that life, with all its questions and challenges, finds its meaning in a hope that does not waver. Jesus doesn’t just offer answers; He offers the way to live in a transforming way. That is why I am a Christian: not because I have solved all my dilemmas, but because I have found in Him a solid foundation on which to build, even in the face of suffering and doubt. My quests have not distanced me from my faith, but have anchored me more deeply in its truth.
Norel Iacob is editor-in-chief of Signs of the Times Romania and ST Network.
