Interreligious Prayer Focused on Jesus: Good or Bad?

By focusing on the person of Jesus Christ can we find a common starting point to engage with followers of other religions?

Earlier this month I was privileged to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with several other Christian leaders from the Twin Cities. We were all pleasantly surprised – and then a bit troubled – by the focus on Jesus in the prayers, testimonies and discussions that took place throughout the two day gathering.

We were encouraged that this international prayer gathering of powerful politicians, diplomats, top CEOs and influential cultural leaders was centered on Jesus. It wasn’t identified as a “Christian” prayer breakfast, rather the unifying force was that people were identified as followers of Jesus, and as wanting to learn and practice the teachings of Jesus. For a majority of the people there they understood Jesus to be divine and the exclusive means of atoning for their sins.

But the simple focus of “following Jesus” also opened the door for people from other religions who admire Jesus as a great prophet, or a wise Rabbi, or as a wise sage and loving master, to feel comfortable participating in the National Prayer Breakfast.

And that is what eventually troubled those of us who attended the breakfast together, and led to some long conversations about the risks – and opportunities – of focusing too exclusively on Jesus. You say, What? The risk of focusing too much on Jesus?

Yes. By focusing on Jesus and eliminating some of the barriers and baggage that accompany institutionalized Christianity, there are many new opportunities to introduce people to Jesus, and there is a much needed awakening to the uniqueness and exclusivity of Jesus Christ, but we have to be careful to not forget the rest of the Trinity or to simply be satisfied with finding common ground with adherents of other religions who only understand Jesus’ humanity, and not his divinity.

Why were we troubled? Some speakers who spoke of following Jesus and admiring his teachings didn’t express an understanding that Jesus made claims that he was God and that he exclusively could atone for our sins. In fact,  that we are separated from God by sin was rarely discussed.

I will withhold my judgment about someone’s understanding and acceptance of Jesus – especially when I don’t know them well – but I worry that if we focus only on the niceties and attractiveness of Jesus without helping others discover the full truth of who Jesus claimed to be, that we are communicating an incomplete – even false – gospel.

One more positive thought about the National Prayer Breakfast

I came away with another take away too: I am encouraged that so many people who clearly are devout followers of Jesus the Son of God – from the titans of industry, to the grassroots activist leaders, both liberal and conservative politicians, diplomats and elected leaders from around the world, and many other people – would come together out of a desire to acknowledge their dependence upon God and to pray and fellowship with other followers. I rest much easier at night knowing that there are many people – even those with whom I disagree about politics or economic practices – all trying to follow the same person, Jesus, and to live and lead the way he guides us to.