Consider any really bad thing that has happened in history, and I can almost guarantee that it came about, in part, because some groups wholeheartedly believed that their way was the only way. Whether it was a massacre of another tribe or a Civil War or an act of colonization, the proclamation that My Way is the Only Way is a path to destruction. Religion has been used as a reason for every land grab, every genocide, every legal structure – you name it, believing that God is on my side has nurtured mass destruction and evil behavior. For Christians, the belief that when Jesus said there was no other way to God but through Him, and that every knee shall bow to Him, meant that everything belongs to His followers. Agree or we will chop your head off. Submit to baptism or we will destroy your village. The Prince of Peace has been used as a weapon of war for 2000 years.
Even now we see groups like Moms for Liberty using faith as the foundation for oppression and repression. The KKK believes itself to be a Christian-based group. Many of the insurrectionists on January 6th did so out of a deep belief that God was propelling them forward. There are even churches trying to cancel Halloween based on archaic scripture about not allowing witches to live. Want to convince yourself that your path of destruction is the only way? Pin it on God. If God is for it (to misuse the Apostle Paul), who can be against it? All of this, by the way, is the true definition of taking God’s name in vain.
When I speak of my faith as a follower of Jesus, I use “A” or “My” to describe the way. And while I believe that Jesus is the incarnation of God – God made flesh – I also believe that other paths speak truth about God as well. Jesus is A way to know God. Following Jesus is My choice. It was not chosen for me before I was born – I was not destined while in my mother’s womb – I did not choose this based on fear or arrogance. I see in Jesus the best way for me to connect with the Almighty, and I try to do my best to make God happy with my life. I think that God is actually unhappy when people say they are Christians yet abuse people for having different views. I think that God probably gets angry every time someone tells another person that they are going to hell. Who do you think you are, God? Jesus didn’t even give Himself that job (I Cor 15 and John 3, 8, and 12)!
I have done ministry with many people from many different religions and have encountered goodness and faithfulness in all of them. If my non-Christian friends, who are as grace-filled as my Christian friends, are excluded from heaven, then I don’t want to be there. I love Jesus and have chosen to follow Him, but if God is love, and if every act of love is blessed by God, then proclaiming Jesus as the only way is unnecessary. I will leave that judgment up to God. It’s above my pay grade.
Prayer – Holy God, teach us to accept each other as Your beloved children regardless of the name we call You. Lead us to peace. Amen.
Today’s art is called “Doing Evil in God’s Name” by The Jewish Lady (I don’t make these things up!)