THE BIG RETHINK
Will the Real Christianity Please Stand Up?
The denominational elephant in the room
It’s remarkable what God shows us if we are willing to open our eyes and look beyond the veil of our assumptions.
In November 2003, I sat in a cold sweat at the boarding gate at JFK Airport in New York City, apprehensively waiting for a flight bound for Moscow, Russia. Short of day trips to Mexico or Canada, I had never traveled internationally, let alone an extended trip into Cold War territory.
I grew up fearing a communist takeover of the world. Reports on the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, and the ongoing Marxist subterfuge of America were on the 6 o’clock news every night and in the headlines of every newspaper. My eyes were glued to the TV as Ronald Reagan called for Soviet leader Mr. Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall!” after decades of East Berliners being shot dead trying to escape to freedom in the West.
As the doomsday clock ticked ever closer to midnight, I assumed our fate was mutually assured nuclear destruction.
My destination is as disorienting as travel gets. Walking up the jetway full of standoffish Russian passengers, I notice the faint, pungent smell of body odor, and I wish to turn around and go home. Reluctantly, I find my…
