Reflection
There are two ways to understand this. More often than not, excessively-enthusiastic pastors use this verse to suggest Jesus is the only path to God — which leads us all down a dangerous path. The other way to make sense of this is that when your path leads to God it will be the one Jesus provides. It is the difference between reading scripture as prescriptive versus descriptive. I would argue too much scripture has been peddled about as an order for what you must do, instead of an explanation of how things have been. Jesus is not ordering all people throughout all time to worship him — “to profess Jesus Christ as as your personal Lord and Savior.” Just look at the passage itself: it is not about fidelity to a person, but to a way, a truth, and a life. To be “in Christ” is to follow the way of peace, to strive for the truth of justice, and embrace the life of compassion. It also comes right after Jesus reassuring us that in God’s house there are many mansions! There are many religious and spiritual traditions that every bit “the way, the truth, and the life.”
Prayer
Jesus, be my way, my truth, and my life. Let my journey to a deeper relationship with you embody your principles of peace, justice, and compassion. And when I see other folks following their path embodying the same principles, may I find gratitude that with God there are many ways. Amen.