One Way

I didn't plan on writing this. Oh, I had planned on another scripture examination, a nice little selection from Philippians (stay tuned, that's still coming) but then I read an article: "Charles Negy, Professor, Says Students Showed 'Religious Arrogance And Bigotry' In A Letter Later Posted On Reddit"

Now, this is, essentially, postmodern relativism. It describes the fairly typical way of thinking nowadays: "believe what you will, but don't try to tell anyone your beliefs are better then theirs, or that yours are right and theirs are wrong. That's arrogance, bigotry, and intolerance." That attitude, of course, is nothing new; it's been a prevalent attitude in western thought for quite a while now. What bothered me was that professing Christians agreed with it.

 ¹“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” -John 14:1-7

 This passage takes place during what's come to be known as the "upper room discourse", after Jesus has celebrated the Passover with his disciples and just before his betrayal and, ultimately, crucifixion. He tells them that he will be leaving them, and where he is going, they can not follow now, but will follow afterward. (John 13:36) They are understandably confused, all the more so when he tells them that they know the way to where he is going (vs 4). Thomas,reasonably, asks how they could possible know the way if they don't even know where it is Jesus is going. Then Jesus just lays it out for them: he's going to the Father, to heaven, and he is the way. His dicplies know the way, because they know him. They didn't get it at the time, of course, and sadly many modern day Christians still don't get it.

I know I'm far from the first to make this observation, but I want to point something out: he didn't say "I am a way." He didn't say "I am one of the ways." He didn't say "Some people come to the Father through me" He said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This is unambiguous language. Jesus makes a clear statement: there is exactly one way, and it's him. No ifs, ands, or buts.

If experience with my past entries is any indicator, I've got readers ascribing to a wide range of beliefs, some in agreement with me, some not. That's fine. But I want to make a very firm point here: Christianity, or at least Biblical Christianity, is simply not compatible with postmodern relativism. Jesus absolutely claimed that his way was the most valid way, the only valid way. Anyone who claims to be a Christian but also claims other beliefs are coequal is kidding themself.