a friend asked me the question, and i mostly blew it off, with my usual joke about having pencils made with john 17:3 printed on them. you know that verse, don't you? it's the punch line, as it were, to that sentence from john's gospel that is printed on pick-up trucks and radiator shops and pencils given to grade school children. there are "christian tee shirts" that say just "3:16."
but i find that in most even large groups of self-professing christians, asking them to quote john 17:3 evokes blank looks. but then so does the question, "what is eternal life?" here's jesus' definition as recorded in the gospel according to john, spoken in a prayer: "this is eternal life: to know thee who art truly god, and jesus christ whom thou hast sent."
of course, this is not true christianity. it is the goal of true christianity, the treasure hidden in the field of true christianity.
and of course this definition of true christianity leaves much of what calls itself "christianity" or "church" far short of the truth. "imposters will come claiming to be messiahs or prophets, and they will produce great signs and wonders to misleed even god's chosen, i such a thing were possible." (matt. 24:24) "not everyone who calls me 'lord, lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my heavenly father. . . . many will say to me, 'lord, lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out devils in your name, and in our name perform many miracles?' then," says jesus, "i will tell them to their face, 'i never knew you: out of my sight, you and your wicked ways.'"
that anyone might be excluded from the kingdom of heaven is one of the few anathmas of the modern psychosis. but if christianity means following jesus christ, then true christianity means truly following him, despite our contemporary prophets such as oprah winfrey or joel olsteen or john spong, even if they are recognized by broadcasting networks and american "churches." "narrow is the way."
to be a true christian, as has been recognized by great saints since the first century (matt. 19:27-30), one must take the call of jesus seriously. "if anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind; day after day he must take up his cross, and come with me." (luke 9:23) there is more: "there is still one thing lacking: sell everything you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, follow me." (luke 18:22)
need one say more? much more certainly has been said, and written. how does one sort through all the verbage that someone claims is christian? one simple way of course is not to bother. the desert fathers, who took the following of jesus very seriously, prayed the psalms and the gospels, and that was enough. francis of assissi heard the gospel from the 18th chapter of luke and did it. the pilgrim in the russian classic, the way of the pilgrim, read the gospel and the writings of the desert fathers and their succesors, most of whom lived in mountain fastnesses.
but for many of us, much of the time, it seems, we follow all sorts of paths that lead almost anywhere except to the cross. then we are surprised to find that our lives are not full of joy or peace. we do not recognize the wisdom of this prayer from the leonine sacramentary:
"almighty god, whose most dear son went not up to joy but
first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he
was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way
of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and
peace; through jesus christ our lord. amen."
the season of advent is not really about making ready for christmas. it is an annual reminder for us to make ready for the coming of the holy one, in our lives and in final judgement. the english book of common prayer is wise to suggest this prayer for daily use during the season of advent:
"almighty god, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your son jesus christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the holy spirit, one god, now and
for ever. amen."
this is also the season when we spend much time with psalm 85, which includes the wonderful lines,
"mercy and truth are met together:
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
truth shall flourish out of the earth:
and righteousness hath looked down from heaven."
true christianity recognizes that we are not alone, that the same jesus whose seemingly outrageous commands also says to us, ". . . be assured, i am with you always, to the end of time," (matt. 28:20) true christianity is the source of the "joy to the world" in which "heaven and nature sing." why should we settle for anything less?
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