What is the Value of Jesus’ Teachings if You Don’t Have Faith?

In the last census over 43 percent of Australians identified as Christian. Ten years prior, it was just over 61 percent.

Australia, and the beliefs of those who call it home, are changing but for 94-year-old Everald Compton, Jesus’ teachings are worth following even if you don’t have faith.

In his novel Walk in the Spirit, Order of Australia recipient Everald Compton and his writing partner Neill Johnson bring together characters from a range of backgrounds and beliefs to explore how people can build a more compassionate society through Jesus’ virtues of generosity, kindness and service.

“They find a pathway to try and create a peaceful community,” Everald told Hope 103.2’s UNDISTRACTED podcast.

“Even though the great religions of the world are at war with one another overseas, every society could have its own peaceful community if all the folks get together and practise generosity.”

Although he grew up in the church, Everald got to a point where he was more interested in the lifestyle of “Jesus the man” and not the views people had about Him being divine.

“Right from the time I went to Sunday school, the idea of a God who was going to punish me if I misbehaved didn’t impress me in the slightest,” Everald said.

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“But I was fascinated by Jesus the man [and] the example of Him in life. [The man] who went around Galilee looking after the poor, the sick, the hungry, those denied justice.

“He was my role model, and I was inspired by Him.”
As a result, Everald’s approach to Christianity became one of “respectful questioning” that considers how Jesus’ teachings contribute to healthy society and bring solutions to the discontentedness people face.

“Every time you look at something that’s bad, we need to say, ‘Well, how can we do something about this to create a better world?'”

“Spirituality is becoming an important thing in the world,” Everald said.

“People wanting simply to build a cornerstone in their life that makes life meaningful without them being sanctimonious and self-righteous.”

The value he sees in Jesus is about His “honesty and decency, and loving nature”.

“I was fascinated by Jesus the man – the example of him in life. The man who went around Galilee looking after the poor, the sick, the hungry, those denied justice.”

“[Jesus was] a person who picks people up out of the gutter,” Everald said.

“A person who doesn’t condemn people for the sins that they have.”

A key theme in Walk in the Spirit is finding common ground between people of different beliefs.

“I want to live in a world where there’s a level playing field where you and I have as much opportunity as anyone else to make a life for ourselves,” Everald said.

“But I believe that if we try and make that life for ourselves by being obsessed with ourselves, we’re not good to humanity at all.

“Every time you look at something that’s bad, we need to say, ‘Well, how can we do something about this to create a better world?’”

Listen to the full episode of UNDISTRACTED with guest Everald Compton in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Feature image: Supplied