Thought of the Day 06.30.08

“In the free marketplace of ideas, Christianity will prevail.” I’ve often heard this idea expressed, and it’s frequently been my own voice doing the talking. But I’m not so sure anymore. Not because Christianity won’t prevail, but because I no longer feel comfortable saying Christ is a spiritual product you shop for at Religion-Mart and buy because He’s the most intellectually economical.

See, comparisons imply similarity and proximity, and if Jesus is merely your best choice, as opposed to being your only choice, then you haven’t really understood the choice yet. Consider marriage. It’s one thing to start dating because this girl is better than the others, but unless she becomes the only girl you can imagine, you aren’t ready to marry her. The goal isn’t to find someone you can live with, but to find someone you can’t live without.

And if someone thinks he can live without Christ, then he doesn’t yet really know what it means to live with Him. Saying Jesus is the best way is very different from saying Jesus is the only way.