God's House

Religion can be confusing. There are so many different beliefs. One group says it is the true religion; another group makes the same claim. Some believe in only one God; others believe in many gods. And some don’t need God at all. What’s a sincere seeker to do? Well, here is my take on it… 

The world is God’s house. On one floor of the house live the Baptists. Many of the Baptists have never been out of their room. They are warned not to wander around because it’s dangerous outside the room. A certain percentage of the Baptists believe that there are no other rooms in the house. On another floor you’ll find the Pentecostals. They have sound proof walls because they make a lot of noise. They pretty much think that they are the only ones in the house that have electricity.

Another floor holds the Catholics. They have lots of furniture. The fire station down the road has to come with sirens on to their floor occasionally because they have so many candles. Some rooms on their floor are just for women, and some are just for men; very quiet rooms.

The Presbyterians occupy another floor of God’s house. They keep everything very orderly. They know their particular floor was chosen for them and them alone. The Lutherans live on another floor. Of course they used to live up on the Catholic floor as did some other groups, but they were kicked off of that floor for questioning the way the rent was paid. The Episcopalians are on a floor. All their rooms have painted windows. And there are many other floors on which live groups associated with Christianity (like the Quakers, who allow no noise).

Sometimes individuals or groups will visit those on another floor and become friends. Occasionally a Catholic will go to the Anglican floor and visit and decide to stay. Or a Baptist will eat dinner with people on the Presbyterian floor and see that she should be living with them.

But here’s an interesting thing: God’s house not only has many floors with many rooms, it also has several wings jutting out in different directions. 

There is the Eastern Wing. On one floor are the Buddhists, and on another the Hindus, and on another the Confucians, and so on. The Hindus think that there are many owners of the house. The Buddhists don’t believe anyone owns the house; in fact, they say, there may not even be a house.

On the Western Wing along with the Christians are the Jews and the Muslims. Then there is a Southern Wing that houses the agnostics and atheists and humanists. The agnostics have darkened their windows and aren’t sure if anything is out there or not. God’s house has rooms for anyone and everyone, even though some people in the house don’t believe that everyone lives there. 

This is my imaginative way of understanding religion. I know that many folk cannot accept this vision of things. Their rules will not allow them to. But I have been up and down the hallways and in and out of rooms and I have seen with my own eyes that people of various religious traditions dwell within the dwelling of God. 

I grew up on the Baptist floor, in one of the fundamentalist rooms. I didn’t know there were other rooms for many years. But as I went to college and seminary I began to learn about church history and the philosophy of religion and systematic theology. I was invited by my teachers to get out of my room and walk around and get to know other people in the house. Still, for a long time, I worked by rules that prohibited me from acknowledging that everyone was in the same house.

But finally I saw the light. I mean, there was actual light in every room on every floor. I couldn’t deny it. God was everywhere. Grace filled the house. Even though there were many differences among the residents in the house, the same electric current gave light in every place. It was quite a relief when I finally discovered the oneness of us all. I no longer had to go out every day and try to persuade everyone to come live in my room.

One day I was walking down the hall of our big house and I met Jesus. I said, “Sir, I’ve made a wonderful discovery.” “What’s that?” he said. I said, “It has been revealed to me that everyone in this house is part of the same family.” Jesus smiled. “I thought you would figure it out eventually,” he said. Still smiling, he walked on down the hall whistling a happy little tune.

It was then that I thought about those words of his that everyone always quote when they want to prove that we should exclude: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “Yeah,” I thought, “that’s it. The way of Jesus is the way of inclusion, tolerance, and respect. The all-inclusive embrace of his earthly ministry showed us that his way, and his life, and his truth, is compassion and acceptance and bringing-together. Yes, his love is the way to the oneness that God desires.”

I also remembered that the oft-quoted verse about the way, the life, and the truth comes a few verses after he says, “In my father’s house are many rooms.” 

I have a strong and happy belief that every humane religious tradition has its own room in God’s house.