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This sounds like straightforward evangelization. But Mr. Jimson's exact words are worth considering more carefully. After acknowledging that he would like his church to be doing more to reach out to people of other faiths, he says, "This is where we kind of get into the difficulties. There's a verse in the Bible where Jesus says, `I'm the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father, but by me,' which very much narrows things down, [especially] if you take it that he said those words and meant them just as straight as he said them. There's another one in Acts, and the reason I quote these verses is because like I said, I feel constrained if this really is the Word of God, then I'm constrained to take that perspective, if you will. Peter told some folks, `There's no other name given under heaven by which men might be saved.' Now if that's the case, if Jesus is the only way to God, then we need to reach out to people of other religious beliefs. I know this sounds … " He trails off somewhat apologetically, saying to the interviewer, "I don't want to make you angry, I hope I'm not doing that."

When the interviewer reassures him that she really wants to know what he thinks, he continues, "I'm not apologizing, but at the same time I want to be … " He searches for the right words: "Yes, then I'm constrained to say there's one way to God and, boy, this sounds … " Again he breaks off. She reassures him again. "Okay," he says. "I just don't want to sound arrogant, because it's not me who's come up with this. If I'm going to be faithful, then I'm constrained to say, then other folks have missed it. I don't want to make it sound like I've come up with this, or I found the way or something."

What this pastor wants to tell people with other religious beliefs is that they must turn to Jesus to be saved. If he ever had the opportunity to talk with a Jew or a Muslim, he says he would like to say something like this: "We're not making fun of your beliefs or anything, but if we have found the only way, we want you to come that way too. Not to join us, but so you can be with God."

The problem that causes him to backtrack and search for the right language is believing that only his religion is true when the culture in which he lives is sufficiently pluralistic to accept more than one view on almost everything and, at a minimum, to discourage people from saying things that seem blatantly arrogant. It helps that he is able to say, in effect, "This isn't really my opinion, but since it's there in the Bible, I have to tell you what the Bible says." Yet that argument, too, runs into difficulty when he has to explain why his view of the Bible is more correct than those of other Christians who regard it differently.

This is just one example of how difficult it is for Christians to find the right way to talk to non Christians or to imagine talking with them. It does not suggest that the problem is intractable and certainly does not imply that Christians should never engage in dialogue with people of other faiths. It illustrates only that interfaith encounters are not easy; indeed, they are sufficiently difficult that many congregations avoid them as often as they can. But refraining from interfaith activities is itself a decision that reveals some of the challenges that religious diversity brings to Christian communities.

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February (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50