One Savior

This article was in our local paper today...

One savior has domination over all denominations
By John Griffin

This morning I was walking on water, in the shower, of course, and I was thinking: imagine that when we die and go to heaven, St. Peter stops us at the golden gate and asks, “What denomination are you?” and you think really hard before you answer and you say, “Well ... I’m Baptist.”

Then he replies, “Go and stand behind door No. 7.”

As you are walking away wondering what’s behind door No. 7 you overhear the next person in line tell St. Peter that she’s a Catholic, and he says to her, “Go stand behind door No. 17.”

Now you are really beginning to worry. Is 17 a better place to be than 7? So you stop and listen as a few more people meet St. Peter.

“Well, I’m a Lutheran,” replies an old lady.

“Go and stand behind door number 57,” she’s told.

As hour after hour passes, you watch thousands upon thousands enter beyond the gates and line up behind thousands of doors labeling their denominations. You finally get back into line as you hear the final trumpet sound; everyone around you is crying and weeping with fear wondering if they are in the right line.

“Are we standing behind the right door?” A small child asks you.

As you answer, you begin to cry and say, “I do not know. I was baptized Catholic when I was your age, but then my father converted to the Lutheran faith when I was in high school and now I am a Baptist because my wife is a Baptist.

“Oh my goodness,” you say as you fall to your knees crying out, “Jesus, it’s not my fault my parents made me convert to their faith; then my wife’s father insisted that I be baptized into the Baptist faith when we married.

“Father, forgive me,” you cry.

Then, suddenly, all the doors open, and as you walk in, you see Jesus standing in the middle of a large room. You begin to realize that all the doors are in the same building.

You start to wipe the tears from your eyes.

Jesus looks at you and says; “forgive you for what, labeling yourself? I told you there was only one way into heaven, and that is through me! Then Jesus says, “I just figured sticking all the denominations on the doors would make you all feel as if you were in the right place.”

Jesus smiles and says, “Maybe I should have just put the name Christian on all the doors; it would have been a lot easier.”

I pray that you understand my meaning here. So many of us get caught up in our human nature and we begin to separate ourselves. Catholics go here, Baptists go there, Church of Christ go there, Presbyterians go there, Pentecostals go there, and so on.

My friends, we are all God’s children. We are Christians.

As you pick up a stone and cast it out the window of your glass home, usually with judgment in your heart, remember this: “What would Jesus do?”

Jesus left us with only two commandments: To love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.

I often wonder, “Do we really hate ourselves so much that we treat our Christian neighbors who stand behind a different door the way we do?

I believe if Jesus were here right now, He would say, “Children find it in your hearts to first love who you are so that you can love all my children, no matter what door they stand behind or what label they have given themselves. You are all my children. You are Christians.”

My prayer for you the beginning of this New Year is to change your mindset and to love your neighbor as Jesus loves you!

John Griffin is the publisher of Christian Living Magazine. Promotions director Rosemary Fisher lives in Columbia. You can visit the publication at www.Christianlivingmag.com.