One Way to God or Many?

Let's heat things up a bit. I want us to wrestle with a tough or sensitive topic for many Christians.

Q: Is there one way to God or are there many?

Before you get too rattled that I'm even posing this question as a Christian, let me reassure you that my own faith has one main underlying bias or foundation:

I believe Christ was and is who he said he was and that he was not a liar nor a lunatic. (C.S.Lewis)

However, with that being said, let's ring the bell in this wrestling match and go for it. No, I'm not trying to win any debate. And I'm not out to wrestle with any real opponents. In fact, I respect all differing opinions and am not here to use this blog as a way to preach but as a method for me and other readers to simply better understand or find Truth on our own journeys. As I've stated before, I'm personally at a crossroads in my life where I find myself wrestling with life or perhaps with God. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disrespecting God or upset with Him nor making myself out to be equal with Him by any means. For me, wrestling with concepts and my faith is an extension of my prayer life. I find myself drawing closer to God the more I allow myself and others to challenge my faith and what I've found as Truth so far in my life. If it is Truth, I believe it will stand the test of time and debate.

Back to today's hot topic, let's start by exploring what Christ himself said and then let's hear what a few Christian leaders say as well.

Christ says in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." And of course, there's John 3:16.

What did Christ mean? I believe these verses mean Jesus is the one and ONLY way to God. But if Jesus is the only way to God....then what is the path to Jesus? I grew up in evangelical Christians churches that preached we need to 'accept Jesus into our lives' or more simply do the A, B, C's to become a Christian. A-Admit you're a sinner. B- believe Jesus is God's son and died for my sins C-Commit my life to him.

But what about those who never hear Jesus' name?

I propose that before we're tempted to give an oversimplifed answer to such a big question, let's be okay 'wrestling' with it for awhile. Let's let it jostle around in our minds, let's be open minded to hear what others think, let's avoid trying to preach or convince....and instead let's have the courage to simply wrestle with it in our OWN hearts. That's the whole point of this sort of blog anyway....I don't want pat answers. I want more questions, ideas, concepts. It's a personal journey for each of us. Life is a mystery. I believe God is far bigger than we can imagine and that IT'S OKAY if we don't have every answer neatly packaged or we admit to other non-believers that we just DON'T KNOW. Instead, let's recognize we're ALL on an individual journey, let's learn from one another and let's respectfully debate the hard topics.

In a recent interview with Oprah, pastor Joel Osteen said he believes Jesus is the only way to God but he also believes there are many ways to Jesus. What do you think?

Hear Joel's explanation to Oprah


Let's look at what the Bible says in Romans 10:9, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Does that mean confessing and believing are the ONLY way to Jesus?

Again, I'm not here to convince or persuade....I just think we should encourage more Christians to 'wrestle' with these sort of issues without assuming they are 'struggling' with their faith. In fact, the mentors in my life I respect the most admit they don't know everything and are on their own journey toward Truth.

I'm fully aware that the Bible also cautions "For false christs and false prophets will arise" (Matt 24:24). The following video is an interesting criticism of the Reverend Billy Graham that warns even he could be who the Bible is referring to when it says "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matt. 7:15). Watch the video because in it Rev Graham is asked:

Dr. Schuller: "What I hear you saying is that it's possible for Jesus Christ to come into a human heart and soul and life even if they've been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you're saying?"

Dr. Graham: "Yes it is because I believe that. I've met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, have never heard of Jesus but they've believed in their hearts that there is a God and they tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived."

Are Joel Osteen or Billy Graham wolves in sheep's clothing who are steering us away from the Truth? Is Oprah on the right path or an antagonist of the Christian faith? Am I for posing these questions?

Let's lastly hear from Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason, an organzation aimed at building Christian thinkers for the public defense of the faith, who says you need to consider what Jesus said in its context. I agree, but for me this wrestling match is far from over.

Did God help Tebow win? Yes or No or....

I'm probably the LAST person who should attempt to write a blog about Tim Tebow. I've been someone who has done everything possible to avoid any and all Tebow talk this past season- not because I'm unimpressed with the outspoken Christian quarterback. He seems like a good guy. He is bold in talking about his faith. And who can criticize him for standing up for what he believes and living it out?

As Americans, even those of different faiths, we should feel extremely proud that we live in a country that allows us the freedom to express our individual religious beliefs so uniquely and publicly. Personally, I'm just not the biggest football watcher and the Tebowing thing just hasn't been something that has motivated me in my own faith.  But Tebow mania has been simply unavoidable this season. And more recently, it's become impossible to not only ignore the topic but to avoid having an opinion...especially when news organziations repeatedly poll Americans asking "Do you believe God helps Tebow win?" Yes or No.

Now let me give a brief disclaimer...this blog is NOT a slam against Tebow. He's proven to be a successful athlete. His commitment to his faith is to be applauded. And I've been so intrigued at the sweeping reaction of teenagers encouraged in their own faith because of him.

I'm just highly concerned with the oversimplied way the media, and even some Christians, have portrayed God.  So before I offer my own point of view on whether I believe God helped Tebow succeed or not, let me back up a few years.

In the fall of 2010, it wasn't Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators who were competing in the Rose Bowl for the National championship title. Rather, Tebow's team was out and he was watching the game on tv. Instead, it was Colt McCoy, quarterback for the Texas Longhorns and now quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.  It was a game I'll never forget as I was helping my husband cheer for his Horns considering my Sooners' season was over as well. Plus, I admit I liked Colt. He was super talented and a solid Christian too. Like Tebow, he wasn't shy about his faith...though they expressed it differently as different individuals. Yet, in just the first quarter of the game, Colt experienced one of the most bizarre fluke injuries I've ever seen in football. He was tackled during the Longhorns first drive of the game but got up without any feeling to his arm.  Unfortunately, it was bad enough that the senior quarterback was unable to return to play the rest of the game and tragically sealed his final game in college football with a loss as he helplessly watched from the locker room. Yet, the most momentous part of the night was after the game when Colt gave an interview on the verge of tears. He shared how he couldn't explain what happened but that his faith in God was strong and he was still 'standing on the rock'.

Did God make Colt lose? Why didn't God help Colt win that game?

I won't attempt to answer any of those questions because the Bible is clear in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." To me, this means there is no way we can ever fully understand or explain God. He is far bigger than us or what we can comprehend. On this side of Heaven, we'll likely never know why Colt was injured or why something so tragic happened to him.

Yet while I don't believe God wanted Colt to lose, I also am very hesitant to conclude that God 'wants' certain players or teams to win. Let me clarify, I do believe God loves each of us, that He helps us and that He wants what's best for us. In fact, God tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil. 4:6) Plus, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt. 21:22)

So what happened to Colt? Did he screw up?

No. Instead, I defer to the next few lines in Isaiah where God emphasizes again, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

I do think God can and does help us. As a former college runner, I prayed before every race (and throughout) that God would help me. I prayed that He would calm my nerves, that He would help me to do my best and that He would give me strength. And while I believe God -many- times answered my prayers, I didn't always win. As much as I would have loved to have finished first, it wasn't always the outcome.

So did God help Tebow win? I would answer YES ...and NO. Yes, I believe God helped Tebow remain calm under pressure and have certain characteristics that are godly. And sometimes, those qualities likely helped Tebow win. But sometimes God's ways are not our ways...and as much as Tebow fans would have loved to have seen the Broncos end up at the Super Bowl, that wasn't how this season ended. No, Tebow wasn't any less of a Christian during his last matchup against the Patriots. God likely wasn't upset nor helped Tebow lose. But I do believe God was and is with each of us who call on Him for help. And He is always faithfully for us, whether we win....or lose.

Introduction- "The final mystery is oneself." Oscar Wilde

I've considered beginning a new blog for awhile now. I guess I started thinking seriously about writing more when I turned 33-years-old earlier this year and assumed that by this point my life would feel a bit more 'settled' than it does now. Don't get me wrong: I feel settled in my career as I've now completed my first full year with the Christian humanitarian organization World Vision in NYC. I'm settled in my marriage after my husband and I just celebrated our 4th year anniversary in September. I'm settled at home where as an Oklahoman I finally feel completely comfortable navigating the streets of New York. And although we don't have kids yet, I'm settled with the idea that traveling the world and loving my sweet dog, Brinkley, may be exactly what I want most in life. Life should feel settled, right? But for some reason, there's this gnawing sense of restlessness. Okay, I'll admit it....maybe I am a bit unsettled lately.

Age 33 seems significant to me. Although we don't know exactly how old Christ was when he was crucified, biblical scholars have speculated that he too was 33-years-old. He performed 33 miracles during his lifetime and in Dan Brown's 2009 novel "The Lost Symbol", the number 33 was discovered to lead to the essential meaning of life (the Bible). Even some Muslims, according to Islamic scholar Al-Ghazali, believe the dwellers of Heaven will exist eternally in a state of being age 33. Bruce Lee and Alexander the Great died at age 33. And to add a bit more to our random '33' trivia, the human spine has 33 vertebrae and 33 is, according to the Newton scale, the temperature at which water boils.

Yep, I'm at a boiling point. A crossroads, you may call it. I'm not sure where this path leads nor why I have this bizarre sense that I'm at a significant turning point in my own life.  Having been raised a Christian and personally having a deep faith in Christ myself, I know (and have preached myself) that we all have a hole in our lives that only He can fill. I asked Christ into my life at age 13 and love Him with all my heart...yet, two decades later my faith has evolved to an unrecognizeable state. I've told people it feels as if I've had my faith thrown into a spiritual washing machine of life where it gets tossed, turned and stretched to a point where you don't what you're about to pull out once you open the machine door. Don't get me wrong: I have an unshakeable faith in Christ. As C.S. Lewis plainly stated, we have 3 options when it comes to Christ. He is either a liar, a lunatic or Lord, as he claimed himself. I believe Jesus wasn't lying nor insane....and have concluded in my heart that Christ was and is who he said he was.

Although I'm like most Christians and have a deep admiration for many 'traditional' biblical heroes...Moses, David, Daniel and Esther....one of my favorite more untraditional heroes is Jacob. Boy, was Jacob screwed up. He was a liar, a cheat and even stole his own brother's birthright. Yet, toward the latter part of his life Jacob wrestled with an angel or a man...some believe whom was God himself. Do you remember the story? Look up Genesis 32. Apparently, the two of them wrestled till daybreak and the angel eventually realized that Jacob wasn't going to give up. "When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man." But get this....Jacob then said he wasn't going to leave until the angel 'blessed' him! Jacob sure was audacious. Yet, the angel not only blessed him but even changed Jacob's name to Israel "because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

It makes me seriously wonder...how many of us are willing....or crazy enough....to attempt to wrestle with God?! I mean...you too would run the risk of walking away with not only a jacked up hip ....but a seriously jacked up life.  Wouldn't it make much more sense to simply and dutifully just follow God? Aren't we called to do that as Christians? Wouldn't our lives be much happier, content and simple?

But what if that's not enough?

Hang with me a bit more on this line of thinking...because I don't want you to think for a moment that I'm not seriously committed to Christ. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not content just being a follower. I want to also be a 'friend' of God's. Maybe that's like Jacob...a bit too audacious. But there are a few, not many, characters in the Bible who were considered friends of God. Abraham, for example, was called a friend. And Elijah, his name means Friend of God or Walks with God.

So today, at age 33, I'm not worried about dying or being crucified. However, I believe I am at a strange crossroads in life and in my faith that is no longer content with simplistic answers to life. I want to wrestle with God, I want to figure out how to befriend God, I want to live life fully aware and open to possibilities.

One of my favorite authors is psychotherapist M. Scott Peck who wrote that there are 4 stages in human spiritual development: the chaotic-->the formal --> the skeptic -->the mystic.

Friends, can I tell you.....life and God get more and more mysterious to me the older I get. I've got less figured out, life is unsettled, the washing machine keeps rumbling....and I'm okay with that. Actually, I love it. But at 33-years-old, I think one thing I've figured out for sure is that the next 33 years are going to be quite the adventure. Bottomline, the purpose of this blog is to invite friends/family along on the journey. As they say in Oklahoma, I guess let's just 'tie a knot and hang on!'
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