I BELIEVE

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and He now sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.”

believe that God made me and everything else and everyone, all for a purpose. My life, therefore, is not without meaning. He made me for love and when I love other people, especially those that do not believe as I do, nor look as I look, nor act as I act, I connect with His purpose.

I believe that the Bible is supernatural. I believe that God wrote it. And, because He is true, it is true. Where it speaks, I listen. It is my ultimate authority and it has the right to dictate what I believe and how I conduct my life.

I believe that God is one in three persons and I do not believe there is any contradiction in that statement. He has a triune nature. We do not. Before the earth, before time itself God existed as one being in three persons. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and He always has been. This is as much who He is, as is my hazel eyes or brown hair is who I am.

I also believe that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. The application of the cross depends on His humanity as the effectiveness of the cross depends on His divinity. If He was not fully human, I would not be fully His. If He was not fully divine, He would not be able to make me fully His.

I believe in sin. I believe in moral absolutes and I believe I sin. I will never be without sin until the day I stand before Him in a new body that will never grow old or know sickness or sorrow or pain. God didn’t make me for sin. When I sin, it is my fault. But He did provide a way of change, freedom, and forgiveness and that way was the shedding of His own blood.

Life is in the blood and His blood was shed for my life and yours.

I believe that each person will see clearly when he or she chooses to believe. If they wait until they see clearly, they will never believe, because in spiritual matters, faith is a pre-requisite to sight. Faith is evidence of love and love is what God wants from us. So He restrains Himself and He waits for our gift—for our love to be offered. When it is, He rushes in.

I believe that human diversity is a gift from God. As such, I celebrate it and I stand in quiet, gentle and loving opposition to those, especially in the church, that insist on conformity. We are called to be transformed into the image of Christ, not each other.

Jesus associated with the non-conformists and the outcasts of His day. He was not attractive. He was not rich. He was not “well bred” nor from the “best” part of town. He associated with sinners. He broke the rules. He valued those that were not valued. He loved those that were not loved. He still does. He always will. He rejected and condemned the mainstream and they rejected and condemned Him. If He walked among us today, who do you suppose He would choose to be with?

I believe that I have finally found my home in Christianity and in Goth. Some Christians may reject me because I am Goth. Some Goths may reject me because I am Christian but my home is with both. It is my prayer that God will supply where I am weak so that I can demonstrate His love to those who would show me fear or hatred. It is my prayer that the good in me, which is God, will overcome the evil that is directed toward me.

I want to provide a home for others like me—for those that know darkness intimately. I want to reach out with the light and love of God to those still lost in that darkness. I am still in the darkness, but I am not of it. I walk in darkness but am not overcome. I was once lost but He found me. I was once ashamed, but He gave me courage.

Finally, I believe that my faith and love are best demonstrated in the context of human relationships. I love my wife and I will forever be hers. I love my friends, my family, my co-workers, my fellow Christians and Goths and I will forever be theirs. My life belongs to any that enter that circle. How can I say I love God, whom I haven’t seen if I don’t love the person I have seen?

God is in the hungry and impoverished. God is in the stranger that needs a helping hand. God is in the person that is sick and in need of comfort and care. God is in the developmentally disabled. He’s in minorities that are oppressed in America and around the world. God is touched by every act of human kindness. He is grieved by every act of human cruelty.

This is not a comprehensive statement of what I believe—a comprehensive statement would be beyond the scope of this format. But these essential beliefs inspire and have supported this venture. This is a venture of love and hope. This is what I believe.

- David Dellman