The Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)
This verse is an important one in our multi-faith society. Life in Britain today involves awareness that there are alternative religions on our doorsteps. In the verse Jesus says that followers of these other religions will not find the way to God through their beliefs. There is a well-known summary of this verse found in Thomas a Kempis’ book, The Imitation of Christ : ‘Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow; the truth which thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope. I am the inviolable way; the infallible truth, the never-ending life. I am the straightest way; the sovereign truth; life true, life-blessed, life uncreated.’ A common way of interpreting the verse is to say that ‘way’ refers to discovering Christ as Savio ur at the beginning of the journey to heaven, that ‘truth’ refers to being discipled by Christ as ‘teacher’ as we travel to heaven, and that ‘life’ ref...