Most Christians have a passing familiarity with the major holidays and notable dates in other religions’ calendars—Jewish holidays like Hanukkah are well-known, as is the Islamic observance of Ramadan. Similarly, most Christians have at least a basic knowledge of those religions’ basic beliefs.

But how much do you know about what Buddhists believe? Do you know how the claims of Buddhism compare and contrast with Christianity’s?

February is a fitting time to learn more about Buddhist beliefs, since it’s when many Buddhists celebrate Parinirvana Day, the day that, they believe, Buddha died and achieved complete Nirvana. A good place to start is an article on the basic beliefs of Buddhism from Campus Life, which also identifies points of similarity and difference between Buddhism and Christianity. A short article at Answers to Tough Questions explains how Buddhist beliefs differ from Christianity.

If you’re interested in further reading, J. Isamu Yamamoto has written a more in-depth article on how Christians should understand and respond to Buddhism in North America (and the article points out that there are different branches within the umbrella of Buddhism, so Christians who’ve studied up on one branch shouldn’t assume they know everything there is to know). Christianity Today has a short discussion of theological issues within Tibetan Buddhism, and an accompanying collection of articles for additional reading. And of course, you can’t beat Wikipedia for sheer volume of information about Buddhist history and beliefs.

So this month, as Buddhists around the world commemorate Buddha’s life and death, take some time to read up on Buddhist beliefs, and consider how you might share your faith with a Buddhist friend or neighbor.

If God loves everybody, what’s so special about the fact that he loves me? Is God’s love for all of us exactly the same, and does that mean there’s nothing individual or unique about our relationship with Him? Those are the central questions in a devotional article from Nehemiah Ministries. Author Blaine Smith explains why humans long for distinctiveness—and why we long for a relationship for God that is unique:

We long, on the one hand, to know that our work and accomplishment are unique–that we’re able to contribute something to human life that no one else can. But we also yearn for distinctiveness in relationships. Much of the thrill of being loved and cherished by someone is the sense of being special that goes along with it. You know that you’re accepted for who you are, and esteemed in a way that’s different from that person’s affection for anyone else.

Yet if God loves everyone in an equal, unbiased fashion, how can there be anything distinctive about a relationship with him? What’s so novel about receiving his love? What possibility for creative accomplishment is there in living for him? You’re simply one of the mass of believers, responding to a vast cosmic love force.

But thankfully, that isn’t the end of the story, as Blaine explains—God may love His children equally, but there’s nothing “generic” about that love. Read the complete devotional at Nehemiah Notes.

Perhaps the greatest example of friendship we have in the Bible is David and Jonathan. They made a covenant with one another and throughout their lives protected and loved each other deeply. When Jonathan died, David said “Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.”

They had an intense friendship. An enviable one too. After all, who wouldn’t want a friend that would defend you even in the face of death?

What about you though? How important are friendships to you? Would you ever make a covenant like David and Jonathan?

Share your thoughts!