Newark Congregational Church

Good morning

Here’s my latest Credo column for the Newark Advertiser published today

What do you think?

It is recorded in John’s Gospel that Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”

What does this mean?

I’m a Christian, and as such I believe that Jesus has given us the best understanding that we will ever get about God. But if you were to ask me ‘Why are you a Christian?’ my answer would certainly include reference to the fact that I was brought up as a Christian in this country, which when I was born was predominantly Christian. (Over 90% of the people born in this country in the years around my birth identified as Christians.)

What is absolutely clear is that my chances of being born into a Christian family, being raised in a Christian church and being a Christian now would have been markedly less if I had happened to be born in China (I’d likely be an atheist), or born in Saudi Arabia (I’d almost certainly be a Muslim.)

Does what Jesus said mean that, in those circumstances I couldn’t ‘come to the Father?’ unless I had, against all the odds and all the societal pressures outside of my control, converted to Christianity. Some Christians would certainly argue this was the case. I’m not one of them.

There are a few things that lead me to that conclusion. Firstly I believe that when it says in the Bible ‘God is love’ it is true. And I couldn’t square such a belief with the idea that same God would not love me if, because of an accident of birth, I wasn’t a Christian. Secondly Jesus didn’t spell out a whole list of things you need to believe about him. (By the way Jesus himself, and all the disciples he taught weren’t Christians – they were Jews.)

Finally I think that what Jesus’ life was all about was teaching those who would listen about how to live a good life for the benefit of themselves and society as a whole, in accordance with God’s will. He called the society that would be formed if more and  more people did this ‘the Kingdom of God.’ The world would be a much better, fairer, more just place if that were to happen.

I believe that anyone can strive to live a life that is in accordance with those principles.

Jesus also said ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you;’ saying that this summed up all of the Bible. This is called ‘The Golden Rule.’ Words very like this appear in the holy texts of all major religions. My belief is that anyone who strives to live by the Golden Rule can ‘come to the father’ – because they’ll be living how Jesus taught us to live.

Mark Taylor – Minister – Newark Congregational Church.