Missionsteam Hamburg
The year was 1997. I was completing my practicum for my Master's Degree while living in Hamburg, Germany. I was with The Salvation Army's "Missions Team," which was made up of a group of young people who were trying to either do a year of social work (if they were male to avoid the compulsory military service), or they wanted to do the German equivalent of a Gap year.
When people who know Germany find out you have been to Hamburg, the next question usually is: "Did you go to the Reeperbahn?" The Reeperbahn is the main thoroughfare in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, which is the notorious Red Light District of Hamburg. The Salvation Army was located right in the heart of that district. Appropriate, in my eyes.
The Red Light district was also the poorest neighborhood in town. Not only is prostitution legal (and regulated in Germany), but this area was filled with erotic cinemas, gambling, etc. The stench of urine and feces permeated the area. Our Missions Team would feed the homeless, distribute clothing, and for some odd reason they made me a barber (even though I had NEVER ever had any experience cutting hair).
Once a week we would hold what The Salvation Army called an "open air" meeting. It was like a street church service. We would form a half circle and do skits, sing songs, and give a short message on a Scripture passage.
I recall one time when we were having one of these Open Air meetings, we were being filmed by a local news crew who was doing a report on us. With the added cameras there, this brought about more attention from the local populace. Along came a large bearded man. You could smell the alcohol and body odor on him. While the cameras were rolling, he yelled out in German:
Ich bin der Weg, die Wahrheit und das Leben! Niemand kommt zum Vater dann durch mich!
For those of you who cannot speak German, he said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through me!"
This man then charged through our circle. He knocked over some of our team members, turned around and shouted again: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through me!" Needless to say we were all shocked by this performance.
This, of course, was not my first experience with those words. This sentence, spoken drunkenly by this German, was something that Jesus was recorded as saying to his disciples before he was executed for treason (John 14:6). The disciples were celebrating the Jewish festival of Passover and Jesus was giving them what I would consider his last final instructions. I imagine it as if he was trying cram all of his knowledge and comfort to them before leaving them.
I sometimes think that the disciples here were confused. They were young people who had triumphantly followed Jesus through a whirlwind of miracles, speeches, and a flagrant flaunting of religious authority. I can only think that they might have thought they were invincible. Suddenly Jesus was saying that he wasn't going to be with them. He was going to leave them, but he was also preparing a place for them.
I would be perplexed. Apparently, Thomas was, too. He asked the question I would have asked: "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?" (John 14:5 CEB). Jesus answered him with the answer given by that drunk German.
Jesus was giving comfort to his disciples.
Too often Christians use these words of Jesus as some sort of exclusionary tactic or litmus test for people. They especially use it against non-Christians to make it an "Us versus Them." This type of dualism can lead to unnecessary strife.
OnlineCorps
When I was a Salvation Army officer, I was invited by some officers in the USA Western Territory to participate in some online Bible Studies. We then started a course for comparative religious studies. The goal of the studies was not to show how Christianity was somehow "better" than other religions, but rather to give people an understanding of other religions and how we might engage with them. We jokingly called it: "Let's Talk About Sects."
Everything was going great until we came to Islam. During our discussion, I was asked by one of the participants (who was a Salvation Army soldier (layperson)) to denounce Islam as a false religion. I refused to do that. To denounce Islam as a false religion would be to say that Christianity is better than other religions. Christianity should be a religion of humility and putting others first, not of denouncing others as being wrong.
This soldier then asked what I did with Jesus' statement that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. My answer is what I gave above. Jesus was attempting to comfort his disciples, knowing that he would be dying soon most likely. He was trying to reassure them that by following his example of living, they would never be apart from Jesus. To follow Jesus is to be with Jesus. To be with Jesus is to be with God. In that sense, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Well, my answer displeased them. Some others who had listened to my statement started a protest letter which they sent to the Territorial Commander (somewhat like a cardinal). It resulted in OnlineCorps being immediately suspended and then eventually cancelled. It had the also unfortunate effect of an employee being fired and another officer being transferred. Since I was not under their direct supervision, a protest letter was sent to my personnel secretary. When I was terminated as an officer, one of the reasons for my termination (besides being bisexual and advocating for LGBT inclusion in The Salvation Army), was this whole incident.
Wow. To put it mildly, I was flabbergasted.
I still believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. However, I stand by what I said those years ago: Jesus is not a litmus test to see who is a Christian and who is not. He is not the Way to Heaven. By following Jesus, we are building Heaven now, not later, here on Earth.
How is Jesus the Way? How is Jesus the Truth? How is Jesus the Life? In pursuing Jesus, in following Jesus, we can find the meaning we are looking for. It isn't one of exclusion. It isn't one where Christianity is superior to all other religions. In following Jesus, we can experience that life in abundance.
