Finding Love in Alaska

Several years ago, my wife, and kids and I journeyed to Alaska for a wedding. It's a beautiful place so worth visiting. But that's not the point of this story.  When I think back, I am still so surprised by it all. But I should not have been.

This was a very non-traditional ceremony. As is common, the bride and groom wrote their own vows. They were sweet and tender, and even a little humorous - which fit them perfectly. The Maid of Honor spoke up to speak prior to the rings being exchanged.

She began her comments with something about “the god above and the goddess below", then she wished them (and I cannot give you an exact quote here)- the peace of Buddha, the _?_ of Krishna, the passion of Pele (Hawaiian goddess of fire) in their love life, and the _?_ of Thor (Norwegian god of thunder and war). Everybody but Jesus and the Cat in the Hat seemed to be included. Now, that is not to be disrespectful with my words. I choose them just to give you a full picture of her words and their shock value to my ears. I guess it's so common nowadays to be so "inclusive" but to leave out Jesus. (It's the state of our world in the West, but in Majority World cultures, Christianity - the real Biblical kind- is booming, with growth in even the most difficult places.)

Again, so these words were just the maid of honor's perspective. But she was chosen to be the maid of honor, so there has to be some commonality between the bride's viewpoints and hers. I have no idea what they thought about this "prayer of blessing" or anyone else’s thoughts at the wedding, for that matter. It was never even  discussed. But what about Jesus?

Because I am a man who prays, this entire experience challenges me as I do. How can I reconcile her words with those of Jesus? "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Here is a very nice, well-meaning, loving woman truly believing in any and all gods of the earth- aside from the One True God who created it all. Who else at this ceremony is fully embracing this concept of many gods and goddesses? It's been done throughout the centuries. I remember studying Roman and Greek gods and goddesses in elementary school. Nowadays, at least in our local elementary school library, books on Islam and Judaism etc. are found in the shelves, but books about Christianity and Biblical thinking have been removed. Even this week. Why?

We are all searching for love and for meaning and order to our world. Jesus loves all of us and died for all of us, but not everyone will accept the truth or the Giver if Life. But let’s be direct and clear from Jesus' own words, no one will enter into heaven at their death by believing in and worshiping everyone and anyone but Him. Either He is telling the truth about who He is and why he came to earth in human form or He isn’t. Pretty simple. And pretty unpopular and very politically incorrect in his day and in ours. But they are His words, not mine. I didn't make the rules, and neither did you.

The Bible is pretty clear on these matters of multiple gods and earth worship. The apostle Paul writes:

“They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (II Timothy 4:4) and this one:

"We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." (I Corinthians 8:4-6)

What instead if we worship nature and creation? That's pretty common as well. These verses from the book of Romans talk about it. Certainly nothing new in that:

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. " (Romans 1:21-23)

So what are we to do? Love well, live kindly and respectfully, and speak wisely. And as those who follow Jesus, watch and listen for an opportunity to share the truth and to share what God has done for us. You can't separate the two. Even the great Apostle Paul who wrote most of the Bible's New Testament, shared what Jesus did for him and the only way to eternal life in Heaven.

In the States, most people know of Jesus- head knowledge, school book, even church trained stuff. Yet, how many really know and are intimate with Him in the way the Bible speaks of having a life-giving relationship with him? Heart knowledge? Knowledge of their sinfulness and of their need for Him? Many of us have family members and dear friends who do not know Jesus at the level He challenges us to. At the very depth of relationship that will one day lead us to eternal life with Him with or without Him. It's Heaven or Hell, and the price has been paid on our behalf. Jesus took on our sin and its penalty of eternal death to provide a way for us to come before God fully clean and forgiven. He died for us, and He was raised from the dead to prove to us that He is God eternal, proving the Bible to be true. 

I mean, we measure time from his birth! Something world changing happened 2,000 years ago!

By loving others deeply, honestly and sincerely, we gain the opportunity to share the Creator God who loves us. This is the best way to share the heart, the love, and the message of Jesus.

(Photographs copyright Lonely Planet.)