Jason's Blog

Back in December (2008), the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released results of a survey that they conducted among 2,905 adults. They were asking, “Can other faiths lead to eternal life?” Rather surprisingly, 52% of those who identified themselves as Christians felt eternal life was possible among non-Christian faiths. You can read the full article HERE.

I bring this up now for two reasons.

1. This Spring I’m teaching a class in Austin on the History of Religion in America through Austin Graduate School of Theology. I love partnering with them because they are convinced that ministers need to know the roots of their own religious convictions as well as the those of others.

2. My daughter is deep into study of the Gospel of John in preparation for LTC. The words of Jesus in John reveal so clearly that Jesus understood himself to be the Savior of the World. There is no way around this clear truth. Jesus say that eternal life could be found only as people can to Him for living water. That position might sound a little “intolerant” I suppose, but no one missed it when Jesus spoke. He was killed because he was a rival to the religious and cultural establishment.

It might be popular to say, “all roads lead to heaven” or that “all religious experiences are manifestations of the same reality.” However, we shouldn’t fool ourselves and call this critical or enlightened thinking. It’s just not possible. The religious realities posed by Buddhism and Christianity, for example, cannot be reconciled. Their ideas are mutually exclusive. The same is true of Native American religious convictions. They cannot be harmonized and bring any harmony. They are dissonant from the start. Scholars in religion have suggested that the places of dissonance can be shorn away and that their is a true uniting force behind all spirituality. I find this lowest common denominator approach really lacks the power to explain religious division/diversity. Isn’t it more likely that the major religions are more like prime numbers that reach a point where they cannot be divided anymore?

Our story begins as Christian stumbles into a miry swamp.  He has no idea where he should go, and he trudges along and must finally admit that he is lost.  He meets a whole range of persons: Mr. Talkative, Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-Both Way, Mr. Moneylove, Lord Time Server, and Mr. Two Tongues—who unfortunately is a preacher.

Finally though, Christian decides that he will take Hope as his traveling companion, and the two leave with a sense of joy taking a path that parallels a river.  Lifting their eyes, they can see that the road meanders around a large meadow.  Wouldn’t it be faster to cut across and rejoin the road later?

Christian and Hope make the fateful choice to leave the River Road and take the shortcut across the meadow.  Not far along, a thunderstorm surrounds our travelers and rages around them. Lost again, they must find cover somewhere, and in the distance they see a castle. Seeking shelter of any kind, they approach the gate, and are welcomed in by a giant.

However, when day breaks, Christian and Hope see that they have come to a dark place. Their host turns on them and throws them into a dungeon pit. This is Doubting Castle, and its overlord is Despair. Now in chains, Christian and Hope are subjected to cruel torture and days turn into weeks. Finally, Despair parades Christian and hope around the castle so that they can see the bones and skulls of those who have never left Doubting Castle. “Give up!  Take your own lives. Why live in such a condition of torture and chains.”

This day is the darkest of all, but at midnight an unfamiliar sound rings across the prison.  It is the sound of chains falling and doors opening.  Christian and Hope are making their escape and Despair becomes so angry with himself that he falls into a raging fit and is unable to pursue our travelers. 

How do they escape? Christian remembers that he has been given a key near the beginning of his journey—the Key of Promise. It has the power to open any lock or any door on the journey to the Celestial City.

In the middle of his grief, remorse, and pain Christian realizes “What a fool am I to be in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty.”

Kathleen Norris reviews this story of Pilgrims Progress, and then connects them to the older works of the desert monk Evagrius: “it is not in our power to determine whether we will be disturbed by [bad thoughts] but it is up to us to decide if they are to linger within us.”

Do we recognize the power of the Word of God? We have been given the Key of Promise. Yes, we will face adversity but it is in our power to decide how long we will stay in chains. Find your freedom in Christ today.

If you lead a ministry, remember that your ministry does not have to stay locked in chains. Take in your hands the Key of Promise. Remember that Hope walks with you wherever you go.

Make 2009 a time of liberty. Drink in the truth of Isaiah 55:10-11

10 As the rain and the snow

       come down from heaven,

       and do not return to it

       without watering the earth

       and making it bud and flourish,

       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

       It will not return to me empty,

       but will accomplish what I desire

       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I have a sweet tooth so it was with great sadness that I gave up chocolate many years ago.  I cannot eat it in any quantity.  It gives me headaches—sometimes with shocking immediacy.  I find that chocolate for however good it might smell not worth even tasting.  I suspect some of you would rather die than not have your chocolate.  All I can say is that the headaches seem worse than death.

I am now careful when I pick my desserts, but I am still searching for something great that might compete with the satisfaction that you can get from chocolate.  I now forage in a world of cinnamon and fruit and caramel. . . It’s not the same . . .   

I tell you this to get you thinking about hungering for the word of God.  Do you realize how privileged we are to have the Word of God?  These are the great words that can bring us to life. 

“The Bible claims to contain a message which will not merely instruct you, not merely inform you about the distant past, not merely teach you certain ethical principles, or map out a satisfying hypothesis to explain your place in the universe and give your life meaning- much more than that, the Bible claims to be: The Word of God.”  Thomas Merton, Opening the Bible, 17).

In this quote, Merton unmasks all the things that can happen to us when we pick up a Bible- we can be instructed and taught, learn about ancient civilization and ethics, we might even ask some of the big life questions and seek out the meaning of our existence.  And in the process, we might miss the Word of God.

Will you let the Word of God be living and active in you this weekend?  Will you give God permission to speak into your life and call you wherever it is that you need to go?  Will you resist Him?

Make it a point this week to attend a Bible class—be it Sunday morning, or a small group, a Wednesday night session, or a time that you carve out with your family.  Open the Bible and have a hunger for the word that outstretches your hunger for deserts (and yes- even your cravings for chocolate!)

Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Are you listening?

I think that it would be hard to miss that we are living through a momentous time.  One of my great memories of this time is captured in this picture as Leah and I marched in the MLK Jr. March on Monday.  Undoubtedly, the historians will write a lot about the 44th inauguration.  The question is – will anything be any different?

In the television reports that I saw yesterday, I could see hope and optimism in new eyes.  I heard testimony as African-Americans confessed in fresh ways “yes, my life can make a difference.”  We all heard our president as he called on hard work, virtuous living, and sacrifice.  Is this only rhetoric and will political gridlock continue to stymie the growth of the common good?  The historians and news media will argue about it and let us know.

Importantly, Jesus gives us confidence that our lives truly matter.  Believing in Him– his teachings, his lifestyle, his selfless consideration of others before himself– this will be our only hope.  Will we resist His calling and purpose or accept it?

One moment at a time– in this moment– may all that we do be for God’s glory.  May you claim this moment for Him and remain hopeful and trusting in the one who brings all things together.  He is Christ our Lord.