The Love Truth

The one thing that has gotten Christians in trouble with people down thru the ages has been that we have to say: “Well, yes it does make a difference what you believe.” The problem is not with what we believe or what the Bible teaches. Christians have always believed that Jesus is the only way to heaven. As the world grows smaller and we rub shoulders with people from different religious backgrounds, how do we explain what we believe in a way that they can understand? Leslie Newbigin, missionary scholar gives us some suggestions:
First, “We should recognize that God’s grace is at work in the world. At work even in those who do not call on Jesus as Lord. My relationship to my fellow human being should be modeled on Jesus who gave his life for the sake of all humanity even those who do not profess allegiance to him. Secondly, we should be willing to join side-by-side with those of other faiths who are working and striving toward a better humanity. We stand with all faiths to a call for peace. We work with Muslims to end world hunger. We join with Hindus to create equality. We strive with the Buddhist to reduce pollution. We join hands in the struggle for justice and freedom even though we know that the ultimate goal is the coming of Christ and his glorious reign. Third, it is this connection that creates a context for dialogue. And our mission is to tell our story. We are called to tell others the story of Christ. Newbigin argues if we as Christians are demonstrating love the opportunity for dialogue will be provided by the other person. We will be invited to tell our story. They will recognize a shared humanity but also see distinction. They will be aware of different motivations and different goals. This will give us an opportunity to share our story, the story of Jesus, the story of the Bible. The story itself, as Paul says, the power of God for salvation. The Christian must tell it, not because she lacks respect for the sincerity of her co-worker, neighbor, or friend of another religion. She tells it simply as one who has been chosen and called by God to be part of the company which is entrusted with the story. We are not called to convert, that is the Holy Spirit’s business. We will pray that it may be so and we will conduct our lives as to embody the story that we profess with our lips to believe.
Sharing the Christian message is not a matter of truth but a matter of love. It is not a love which encourages people to believe a lie. “As a human race we are on a journey and we need to know the road. It is not true that all roads lead to the top of the same mountain. In Christ we have been shown the road. We cannot treat that knowledge as a private matter for ourselves.”[1]
We all are called to assist others in the journey. We are challenged to guide others to the light that shines in Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the only way, the unkindest thing in the world would be to keep it to ourselves. If Jesus is the only way, the most loving thing is to share it with others. Let’s suppose that you and I are standing 50 feet away from the edge of a cliff. If you fall off, you will drop 1800 feet before you hit the jagged rocks ion the canyon floor. There are no guard rails to keep you from falling. As we stand there chatting, we see a man walking slowly toward the edge. As he nears the edge, we realize that he is blind and has no idea of the danger he is in. Suddenly, he calls out, “Which way should I go?” What would you think if I yelled out, “It doesn’t matter? Go any way you like?” Would I not be criminally negligent when he falls to his death? If I care about him at all, I will call out, “Don’t take another step. I’ll come and get you.” And then I will take him by the hand and lead him to safety, Love compels me to speak the truth and to do what I can to save his life.
[1] Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel In a Pluralistic Society, (Eardmans: Grand Rapids, 1989) 183.