David Janetos

I was raised in a secular family, and didn’t practice or care about any religion seriously unless it was Christmas or Hanukkah. I didn’t even know any serious Christians, such that I grew to believe there was no point to faith, and that an intellectual, secular life would be fine for me. After I graduated college, I moved to Connecticut for work and found myself with no friends and no community, and so began to develop severe anxiety and some depression. One day, I received a mailer from a local church, and was so desperate for something to do on the weekends and some opportunity to meet people that I decided to start going, despite the fact that I thought I never would. It was there that I began to learn who Jesus is and what Christians really believe in. I didn’t really believe or understand it myself at first, just thought of learning about God as an exercise in history and philosophy, and if anyone outside church ever asked, I would downplay the growing role of God in my life. However, a few years later, after going through a painful romantic breakup, and spending a long time dwelling on sin and temptation, I came to church one evening for Good Friday service. That night, hearing about just how much Jesus suffered and died for our sake - for MY sake - was the moment that I truly emotionally understood that I am a child of God, and that I have been adopted into the family of God, and that God is more powerful than my temptations or anxieties. Since then, I have never again denied to anyone that I am a Christian.