A little over a month ago, mid-conversation, someone asked me if I’d always remain a Christian.
“Yes,” I quickly quipped.
It was an easy yes—true to the saying that things are easier said than done.
I write this as someone praying daily for the strength to run and finish the race well, yet also as someone navigating what I can best describe as a faith crisis. To cut straight to the chase, I’m in a difficult season, one that leaves me frustrated, almost defeated.
But back to the conversation. My rationale for answering “yes” was this: Christianity doesn’t feel “heavy” in the sense of requiring excessive effort, nor does it have a specific “look.” No matter what someone’s outward appearance might be—even if they’re fully tatted (still controversial to some who decide what looks “Christian enough”)—faith is not about appearances.
In hindsight, I’m not sure whether I made much sense. Maybe I came across as simplistic? But a few days later, I had what felt like an “aha!” moment after I watched, read, or listened to something (I consume so much media, I honestly can’t remember). It touched on Christianity being an inward-out practice.
That brings me to today’s ramblings, inspired by Vikings. Yep, Vikings.
I started with Vikings: Valhalla (Leif, Harald, Freydis) before working backward to the original Vikings series (Ragnar, Rollo, Lagertha). I’m invested in both, watching them in a chaotic, vice-versa order.
There’s some scary, unconventional stuff throughout both series. For me, two things stand out: the eerie appearance of the seer (a real jump scare, respectfully) and the countless sacrifices the Norse people make, including human ones, especially during their trips to a place called Uppsala.
From the first episode of Valhalla, I realized you need an open mind to watch this. It’s easy to dismiss it as satanic—but not quite. The Bible does reference ancient sacrificial practices in the Old Testament (though not involving humans), and watching Vikings almost feels like seeing those descriptions brought to life.
By Season 1, Episode 8 of Vikings, I’m fast-forwarding through the sacrificial scenes, comforted by the words of Matthew 11:30: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In today’s slang, I can at least speak for myself by declaring that Jesus really ‘did us a solid.’