One

“If there’s only one nation in the sky, shouldn’t all passports be valid for it?”

Pi Patel, The Life of Pi


This is the truth to which all religion points - Oneness. Oneness of the Universe. Oneness of the Higher Power. Religion calls us to the awareness that we are not at the center of the Universe. Certainly, as a Christian I can embrace this truth. In fact, we believe that God has revealed truth in a many different cultures and religions. God has prepared the nations with prophets and revelations and whispers. But preparation for what? Is it for simply a declaration that all religions are equal and the same? Couldn’t God have gotten that message across with much less effort and trouble?

If all religions are equal and the same, then there is no getting around it, it simply doesn’t matter what you believe. Even if you’re an atheist, you don’t know have to be a music-lover to be invited to the concert - if all paths and passports are valid. But if I have a destination to get to, but I am fairly lost, I need the right map, not just any map will do. If I need to get to a particular place and stop and ask for directions, its fairly important to ask the right person for directions in how to get there. Not all roads will take me to where I want to go. In fact, some roads and places uphold that old country saying, “You can’t get there from here.”

“We’re one, but we’re not the same.” Bono, U2

The Apostle Paul recognized this situation in his day as he strolled through the very cosmopolitan city of Athens. Athens was the city of wisdom, of learning, and especially of philosophy and religion. The city abounded with temples to every known god, goddess, and religion in the western world. When Paul met the philosophers in the open-air forum on Mars Hill he recognized the wealth and variety of faith and philosophy represented there. “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are,” Paul announced. He was establishing common ground. He notes they have a altar in the city to an unknown god. “Let me tell you about this god,” Paul says. Then he begins to tell them specifics of how this unknown god has in fact made himself known. This god is in fact the Creator that all religions acknowledge, even their own secular poets. And this Creator has revealed himself in a particular and unique way in a man by whom the whole world will be judged.

Jesus Christ is the particularity of God. He is the One in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. Jesus Christ brings the truth of Oneness that is present and proclaimed in almost all cultures and takes it to its purpose and fulfillment. God has prepared the nations, whispering truth for a purpose as big as the world and universe. This purpose is perhaps to big to leave to just the seasoning of cultures with universal ideas. God chose a particular time and place and people to whom and through whom to most fully reveal himself to the world. God needed to get particular and we needed God to do this. Here’s why:

My life has been changed by reading glasses this past year or two. It was a surprise to me when I first recognized the need – why are the words on the page running into each other? My eyes strained and watered to keep doing the job they’re paid to do. With glasses things have improved, but I’m still getting used to them. I don’t wear them all the time and I let them lie places when they should be with me. And now when I am helping with my son’s homework or reading the directions on the bottle, I have to summon my eyes to me. I can’t get it done alone. The world is masked and dark without them.

Jesus is not only the particularity of God. Jesus is the clarity of God. In no where or way does God speak more clearly than in the person of His Son, Jesus.

It is this clarity of truth that prompted the Psalmist to declare: “In thy light do we see light.” Psalm 36.9

And because the Lord is our light (Psalm 27) the light of Christ shines in us. Jesus said,

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. . . in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5.14-16


Timothy Keller recounts serving on a discussion panel at a local college along with a Jewish Rabbi and Muslim imam. The conversation was courteous, intelligent and respectful in tone, Keller recalls. Each speaker affirmed that there significant, irreconcilable differences between the major faiths. For example, they all agreed with this statement:

“If Christians are right about Jesus being God, then Muslims and Jews fail in a serious way to love God as God really is, but if Muslims and Jes are right that Jesus is not God but rather a teacher or prophet, then Christians fail in a serious way to love God as God really is.”

Keller sums up, “The bottom line was – we couldn’t all be equally right about the nature of God.”

The purpose of this series was to examine the other great faiths and see what we have in common and what divides us and then to answer the question, “Why am I a Christian?”

One person here said only half-jokingly, that this series had caused doubts in him. I take it be the kind of doubt that causes us to ask questions and so work for deeper understanding. That’s the good kind of doubt. Some might even call it a holy disturbance, God disturbing your thoughts like the angel used to disturb the Bethesda pool. I don’t want you to remain in a state of doubt. That’s a poor home. We must move on to a confident answer to the question, “Why am I a Christian as opposed to a Jew or Muslim or Buddhist?”

I am a Christian because of Jesus. When I met Jesus I met the clarity of God. When I met Jesus I met my Soul friend. I met the One who forgives and saves and teaches me. I met the One in whom I put my absolute trust. I’m not a Christian because of my parents, my friends, my church, my country, my education, my culture – although they certainly all helped. I’m a Christian because of Jesus. Jesus spoke into my life. He spoke with clarity. He revealed the One to me. And what’s more, I have a confidence that anytime someone has “ears to hear” Jesus will speak to them too. I think He is an attractive person to meet. He is in fact, the Person, the Human Being – Son of Man. He is also God revealed. He transcends cultures and races. He belongs to all because all belong to Him.

As a church we have been commissioned to introduce people to Jesus. It’s good when we introduce people to our friends, our family, and our church. But when we introduce someone to Jesus they are changed forever.

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God who. . .has given us the ministry of reconciliation. . .so we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5.16-20

In Ephesians, Paul talks about how God has chosen the church to reveal the mystery of Christ to the universe. The Church is here to tell the Gospel to the whole world, “to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages but now made known.” When he spoke to the Athenians Paul recognized that there were times of ignorance that God overlooked, but now the time of salvation has come.

In commenting on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians the early church Fathers said, “Right up until the cross there was a suspicion that Christ was weak.” We regard him this way no longer. Today there is a suspicion that the church is weak, and it may be so. But we don’t recommend the church to the world. We recommend Christ who is strong. He is “fairest Lord Jesus.”