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Experience the way, the truth and the life
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NRSV). In his column, Stanley Green shares some of the atrocities that have been rationalized and supported by Christians who have claimed that Jesus is the way. He concludes, however, that sharing the good news of Jesus with our neighbors is part of our ongoing identity and responsibility as followers of Jesus. We hear the story of Li Xiu in southern China in this issue of Beyond Ourselves. Li Xiu saw death as the only solution to his drug addiction. And then he met a group of believers who took him in and showed him love. Now, with the help of his congregation, he’s running a rehabilitation center to help others with addictions. Elsewhere in this issue, we hear the story of Annie Spiro, who also found it difficult to accept Jesus as the way. To her, God was the bearded man in the sky. But then she met a group of Christians who cared for the earth and loved people who didn’t love them. Eventually, she found a God she didn’t seek but who was seeking her. Within Mennonite Church USA, we say that one of our missional priorities is holistic witness — practicing and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through a seamless web of evangelism, justice and peace across the street and around the world. I thank God for the strong ministries of evangelism, justice and peace that we share around the world through Mennonite Mission Network. As followers of Jesus and as congregations, we know too that our missional calling goes beyond these international ministries to include sharing Jesus with others in our own communities. In his book, Is it insensitive to share your faith?, James R. Krabill tells the story of asking an elderly preacher in the Ivory Coast how he understood Jesus’ claims to be the way, truth and life. "That's no small matter," the preacher responded. "For me to understand Jesus, every part of my body needs to get involved, beginning with my head, traveling on to my heart and right on down to my feet." As it was for Li Xiu and Annie Spiro and this elderly preacher in the Ivory Coast, it’s important for us to understand that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. But it’s even more important that we experience this truth and put it into practice. Despite the evil done in Jesus’ name now in the past, if we begin to proclaim Jesus with our head, heart and feet, the good news can be seen once again as good news by those with whom we share it. In this issue: Features Highlights Viewpoints |
