The Only Way

Faith to me is a journey, it is not a destination; it is not “where I am going,” it is “how am I getting there.” To me, my walk in faith has been an interesting adventure, and is often filled with times of great stress, followed by times of rest and relaxation. It has been a journey that has brought me through some very hard times, and some very good times. In my faith journey I have met people I adore, people I can share my life with and who are honest enough to love and care for me. I am certain my faith journey will continue to be an exciting adventure because my faith is always in process. While some may find that hard to understand, you know the idea that faith should be “in process, I know the truth of a “faith in process” because I am living it every day. While I know my faith is a journey, and that my faith is always in process, I also know that there is one center of my faith that remains a constant core; that one center is that Jesus is the only way. You see, even on a journey one needs a guide, a map, a idea of how to get from point a to point b – and in my reality Jesus is that guide.

To some that sounds “harsh,” even closed minded, but it is not. Let me relate a recent happening from my faith journey. Not too long ago, I was in a gathering of people and the concept of “religion” hit the table. I am always amazed at how little people know of other world religions, and even the religion they claim as their own. One of the people mentioned that they could not understand how anyone could claim their faith as “the one true faith” and discount others. As I was listening to this person it dawned on me that they were doing exactly what they were standing against. You see, for them their “faith” was that everyone was right – and they wanted everyone to embrace their truth; they felt they were right and everyone else was wrong – they stood firm on the idea that we should see all faiths as being “right.” In fact, I believe they stood on it firm enough that they could be viewed as “radical” about their faith beliefs. This got me thinking about Jesus as “the only way” and I found peace in my thoughts.

You see, in my heart I know Jesus is the only way to the Father and I desire others to know that reality; I’m good with that. In fact, as a pastor that is one of the driving realities of my ministry – that people know, live and embrace Jesus as the only way to the Father. I am good with the idea that Jesus is the only way; I like it, I am comfortable in that reality. I have no problems with that core, but some do. For me, the journey is best traveled with Jesus at your side; people can fail you but Jesus never does. While I do not believe in “beating people into Jesus” I am comfortable with living my faith and speaking of it as a core of my journey – I truly am ok with the idea that Jesus is the only way.

Recently, on my journey, I have taken a path that was uncomfortable and hurtful, but I believe needed to center my core. This path was filled with doubts, questions, dark turns and even a few pitfalls. It was a path that stripped me of my core, caused me to doubt my call and allowed me to become less so others could become more. I believe I needed to be on that path so that I could reinforce the core reality of Jesus in my life – I needed to journey that path in darkness so when I saw the light, it was brighter and warmer then I had remembered.

I am certain Jesus is the only way, while everything else is in process – everything I process, processes around the core reality that Jesus is the only way.