One True Religion

(Today a small treatise on a subject important to me and the work I do in this place.  Tomorrow a story to illustrate, or at least to try.  Because try is what we keep trying to do.)

Is there only one true religion, one faith that fits all?

I believe there is, and furthermore, I believe the one true religion to be mine – Christianity.

Am I right?  I  believe that I am.  I don’t know that I am right in this, but I believe it – believe it most of the time and with most of my heart.  Sometimes I believe this wholeheartedly, and these, of course, are the best of times.

I don’t say this to please anyone but myself, and my God.  I am a follower of Jesus.  I have been a follower of Jesus my entire life.  My parents and grandparents, and theirs before them were all followers of Jesus too.  Our daughter and son follow Jesus.  They are raising our grandchildren to follow Jesus as well.  I love Jesus!  I adore Jesus!  I talk about Jesus to anyone who wants to talk about anything important, and as far as I am concerned anything that is important always comes around to being about Jesus.  My entire being revolves around talking about Jesus.  I teach about Jesus to whoever wants to learn what I believe the Scriptures want to teach about Jesus.  Nobody here in this place questions my loyalty to Jesus.  And I do mean nobody.  I am transparent, vocal and stubborn about my faith in Jesus as Lord of the Universe.  As concerns the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of Jesus, I do not compromise!

And yet, I am respectful of others’ faith.  I respect the Jewish person who believes in the God of his/her mothers and fathers just as strongly as I believe in Jesus. I respect the Muslim who is every bit as passionate about his/her faith as I am about mine.  I respect them.  In fact, those who are most passionate are the ones I respect the most.  And I find they respect me as well, that most people do not respect someone who is not serious about his faith.  And I am extremely serious about my faith in Jesus as Lord. 

I talk with them.  I listen to them.  I try to influence them toward a fresh look at Jesus.  They try to influence me as well.

I struggle most with Muslims, mostly because most of my contact is with Muslims.  Ninety-eight percent of my neighbors are Muslim.  Islam seems to me like the Johnny-come-lately of the three monotheistic traditions.  I read the Qu’ran and it seems more than a bit farfetched to me, more than a bit made-up to fit the need of Muhammad to make a place for himself and his people.  The Jewish people read the New Testament in exactly the same way as concerns us.  I humbly recognize this, put away my sword, and try to listen to my Muslim neighbors as they try to convince me of the missing chapters in my story of God.  I nod my head in understanding of what they believe, and then I tell them what I believe.  And they listen back.  I call that evangelism.  Guess what, so do they!

I’m trying to understand so that I can be understood.  I’m trying to listen so that I can be heard.  I’m asking my friends, colleagues and anyone else who reads this little blog, to try along with me – struggle along with me.

I believe the struggle pleases the one true God who loves the whole world, and wants the whole world reconciled, first with him, and then with one another.

I believe that reconciliation is possible only in Jesus, and that it is the followers of Jesus who must lead the way in humble listening, respectful talking, and most of all in steadfastly supporting one another as we do.