• Another in our ongoing discussion on matters of faith.

Dean, you're amazing: I wonder if you realize how rare you are? [Just so we know what we're getting into, Viewpoints, Sept. 19] I can't think of any other Christian who has worked so hard to find common ground and connection points with me.

I hope you'll be encouraged to hear your persistence is paying off! I read your latest response and found myself thinking, what's not to like? The Way you wrote about: I believe in it too.

I like how you described the Way:

"That can range from taking in homeless to reconciling a broken marriage, serving guests at a hospitable table to helping Katrina survivors rebuild battered homes, making time for companionship with sick and lonely people to making civic and corporate life a notch better despite heavy odds."

I've found lots of people who believe in the Way. Some are Christians, some are not. Christians equate the Way with Jesus, just as you did. Others who believe in the Way tend to regard Jesus as having a key role in defining and publicizing the Way. They would agree with you that his example is worth following. But they aren't willing to say the Way exclusively belongs to Jesus, or that he is the Way.

I find myself wondering: Does Jesus (if he still exists) care whether people equate the Way with him, as long as people are following it? If he cares, why does he care? Why does it matter? I would care because I'm an insecure, attention-seeking human being. I like to be noticed. Surely that's not the way Jesus is!

The part I like about it being Jesus' Way is: If it's his, no-one else "owns" it. Since it's not mine, I can't claim to know everything about it or be sure you're following it the wrong way. The best I can do is try to understand what the Way is and make every effort to follow it myself. I can invite you to follow it too, but if it's Jesus' Way, I must not devote more attention to correcting your way of following than my own. Jesus was very clear that I'm to take the plank out of my own eye before I turn my attention to the speck in yours.

In spite of this, some of the people most convinced it's Jesus' Way do act as if they own it. They spend a lot of time authoritatively pointing out specks in others' eyes. In fact, some of them believe this is a ministry God called them to! I don't recognize this as the Way or Jesus' Way. Dean, from all you've written and said to me, you evidently don't either, which is very encouraging to me.

I understand that church, Bible study and prayer help many people follow the Way. They used to help me too. When they ceased to be helpful, I didn't stop following. How could I abandon the Way I still believe in? I'm as much a follower as ever, but what inspires and encourages me to follow has changed.