You, Me, Some Words

Let’s go back a couple of millennia.  In the startling gospel of Jesus Christ, people experienced God’s liberating grace and God’s own truth, and they found in Christ a way of moving in and through this world that was so life-changing, so gloriously, uniquely countercultural, that the early Jesus-followers called their movement The Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).

I’ve always loved that name for our faith, single and simple, and I return to it from time to time with longing.  I imagine all of us Jesus-followers, strangely and wonderfully one in the Spirit, the very presence of Christ’s mercy wherever we might be, revealing through our words and actions the One who revealed God.

The Way as the name for our faith fell from usage pretty quickly, however.  At Antioch, followers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26), and the name stuck, and our religion was soon called Christianity, and that stuck.  And then, well, WE got stuck, as we began to seek more clarity of belief.  How do we define Jesus as the Christ?  How are we to choose and interpret our holy writings?  What and how many are the sacraments?  In short, what’s the right way to do The Way. And who had the theological and ecclesiological authority to settle disagreements?

We tried church councils, Papal edicts, schisms, inquisitions large and small, Reformation, some blood-letting, more councils and ecumenical gatherings, revivals, and, of course, more schisms, but, despite our best and worst efforts, the “single and simple” remained out of reach.

Fortunately, today we have almost universal access to theological and scriptural resources, and we can share our insights instantly and broadly as we search for true unity in Christ.  Beautiful.

But no. Can I interest you in a few more schisms?

Today The Way is best described as a multi-laned superhighway.  According to the Barna Group, the number of denominations in the U.S. grew from 89 in 1980 to 266 in 2020 (And I can think of a few added since then).  So, pick your lane.  Keep left, keep right, or try the middle lane, if you dare.  And don’t worry, if you can’t find a lane that feels quite right, you can always pave your own.  You, too, can be a theological and ecclesiological authority defining once and for all the true Way of Christ.  Congratulations.

In my mature years, maybe I’ve grown more cynical than wise, but let’s be honest:  The Way we’re looking for is our Eden, a dreaming memory of innocence lost, and we’ll never agree on which Way of the superhighway has it right.  Still, can we maybe install some of those little reflectors to keep us from swerving out of control when the night is dark, or maybe even some guardrails?

In other words, if we can’t agree on what The Way is, maybe we can eliminate a few things it isn’t.

For instance, The Way isn’t the world’s way.  Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over … But as it is, my kingdom is not from here’” (John 18:36).  And Paul added, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

The Way isn’t about judging others.  Again, Jesus, then Paul: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned …” (Luke 6:37a).  “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10).

The Way isn’t “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21).

The Way isn’t exclusive.  Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).  And Paul, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28).  And not to be outdone, James: “My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality. For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1-4).

The Way isn’t vengeful.  Jesus, then Paul, twice: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also …” (Matthew 5:38-39).  “Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord”’ (Romans 12:17-19).  “See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

At this point, you probably want to add, “Nor is the Way a bunch of prooftexts.”  And I don’t blame you.  But you get my point, right?  Can we agree to do no harm?  Even as we Christians continue to add lanes to the superhighway, must our disagreements become road rage?  A little humility wouldn’t kill any of us.  The fact of the matter is neither you nor I can claim the last word on The Way, but the good news is the One who IS The Way has already claimed us both. At least my lane thinks so.