By Jimi Calhoun
This entry is the ninth post in a series of bridge-building, theological-cultural reflections by Jimi Calhoun, Pastor of “Bridging Austin,” in Austin, Texas.
The title of this article is also the title of a song I wrote decades ago. It came about when I was asked to help with music at my denomination’s summer camp at a mountain retreat above Los Angeles. During one service, I began playing a standard Chuck Berry riff on my guitar, which got everyone up dancing. The problem was that it wasn’t a song, only a rhythm pattern. In a bit of panic, I started singing, “I can’t live my life without Jesus, I will live for His glory every day.” Bingo, all the kids joined in, and soon I not only had a new song but one that moved people. All except one. One of my mentors, a guitar player named Ted, didn’t like it and sarcastically asked, “What are you gonna do if you live without Jesus—die?”
That was, and still is, a profound question, isn’t it? Do most of us live with and for Jesus, or do we simply believe in Him? Is there a difference between the two? Said another way, should there be a difference between what a person believes and how they live as a result? Think of it this way. A relationship with Jesus can show up in our lives in two very different ways. One is experiential, meaning the way we feel God’s presence, sense His love, etc. The other is existential—the way we live with God—aligning our choices with His purposes that ultimately give life meaning. I believe both matter and should be part of everyone’s faith journey. But if one of them is to be the “go to” or default mechanism that most influences how we actually live, which one should it be?
At the heart of Bridging Austin is the belief that both perspectives are valuable and essential to a healthy spirituality. That understanding comes from my own faith path and what I have learned over the years as a pastor. On that journey, I’ve come to see better what James meant by a person being double-minded. My early years worshiping in a church rooted in Black theology taught me that following God means living each day as faithfully as humanly possible. For example, I learned spirituality is tied to working for justice, living in community, and confronting societal wrongs. The one verse that best expresses what the people in the church of my youth saw as their bottom line is James 2:17: “Faith without works is dead.”
However, later on, as a pastor serving predominantly white evangelical churches, I encouraged people to grow through sound doctrine. Spiritual maturity was measured by personal knowledge, church attendance, and adherence to doctrinal principles, rather than engagement in collective struggle or social justice. Sure, community was important, but only as a platform for teaching and fellowship, not as the primary lens through which faith was to be viewed.
Through it all, I’ve seen how tempting it can be to think in either/or terms — and that’s exactly what an existential/experiential dichotomy of faith produces, a divided heart. Viewed through a more theological lens, the existential/experiential divide is known as orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right behavior).
Let me break that down. Where the experiential focuses on what happens to us, the existential focuses on what happens through us. You could say the experiential side of faith is like the music that moves the heart, while the existential side is the rhythm that keeps it beating steady. But living life with Jesus is about consistency, integrity, and direction. It’s the decision to live faithfully even when there’s no emotional confirmation or practical benefit attached. The truth is, both the experiential and the existential belong in the same song. But, like my impromptu offering in that camp many years ago, it is the rhythm of everyday living with Jesus that will not only ward off spiritual death, and contrary to what my mentor Ted wrongly surmised, also lead to spiritual growth. At Bridging Austin, we hold onto one core belief — that Jesus is right here with us, just like Sting sang, “with every breath we take.” And that is also why none of us can live our lives without Jesus.
You may contact Jimi Calhoun at Jimi@Bridgingaustin.org.