Twelve years ago, Richard John Neuhaus wrote that Pope John Paul II “never tires of repeating that the revelation of God in Christ is the revelation of God to man but also the revelation of man to himself.” (“The Public Square: A Pope of the First Millennium at the Threshold of the Third,” First Things, January 1995)

Baptists don’t talk this way, so these were rather memorable words for this Baptist. Because of the passage of time, I’m not sure exactly what point the Pope or Neuhaus were trying to make, but I can extrapolate my own meaning from the comment.

I think I do see myself more clearly when I “look” at Jesus. This seems to happen in two ways.

First, I see shadows of Him in my life. I see a little of the goodness, a little of the love, a little of the sacrifice, a little of the purpose, a little of the faithfulness to the Father. I’ve been “looking” at His life for almost all of mine, and I think I see in me that I would not have had the goodness, the love, the sacrifice, the purpose or the faithfulness if not for the model of Christ and for the connection with His Spirit.

Second, I see how little goodness, love, sacrifice, purpose and faithfulness are present in my life. While He has helped me become more than I would have otherwise been, I still have so far to go. Sometimes it’s hard to “look” at His life and then at mine because I know people label me as one of His followers and yet I follow so imperfectly.

While “The Lost Tomb of Christ” television show focuses our attention on the pivotal event of Jesus’ life, I do not want to forget the pre-crucifixion life that is revealed in Scripture. In that revelation we see something timeless, God, and we see something very much in our time, ourselves.

“What if faith were more like the earth than a building? What if faith could never be stable in the way God intends it to be if it didn’t have forward momentum and if that momentum weren’t in the field of the gravity of God himself? And if you don’t like that metaphor, think of a bird in flight or a bicycle or a ship on the sea. In each case, there’s movement in relation to some larger forces and realities. Stability comes through an interplay of those factors.” (Neo says in Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christian, p. 55)

So how do we maintain forward momentum in our spiritual life?

For me, reading outside my religious and theological tradition has been helpful. More than that, it has been reinvigorating.

I have been a Baptist almost all of my life, but I did some doctoral work at a Presbyterian seminary. I loved it. I didn’t agree with the professors on some key issues, but I loved hearing things from a different perspective.

My favorite author, C.S. Lewis, was an Anglican. I don’t think any of my favorite authors are Baptists.

The blog world just compounds this, and I love it.

I open to suggestions for keeping forward spiritual momentum.

This is the kind of Baptist I am:

ATLANTA — Leaders of 40 Baptist organizations representing 20 million Baptists throughout North America convened at The Carter Center today and announced plans for a Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, tentatively scheduled to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2008. Joining in the meeting were former U.S. Presidents and prominent Baptists Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

“This has been what may turn out to be one of the most historic events, at least in the history of Baptists in this country, and perhaps Christianity,” Carter said. “We believe it will bear fruits.”

Plans for the historic celebration, which is expected to draw more than 20,000 Baptist participants, grew out of the North American Baptist Covenant, a document that was signed by Baptist leaders following a meeting at The Carter Center last April.

The covenant – endorsed by a racially, geographically and theologically diverse assembly of Baptists – underscores the group’s desire to speak and work together to create an authentic and genuine prophetic Baptist voice in North America. It goes on to reaffirm traditional Baptist values, including sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and its implications for public and private morality. The group has specifically committed themselves to their obligations as Christians to fulfill the biblical mandate to promote peace with justice, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick and the marginalized, and promote religious liberty and respect for religious diversity.

The celebration will begin on the evening of Jan. 30 with a keynote address by President Carter. The three-day program will feature speakers and presenters who will address these historic Baptist commitments and explore other opportunities to work together as Christian partners.

Tentative themes for the four plenary sessions are: “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant,” “Unity in Bringing Good News to the Poor,” “Unity in Respecting Religious Diversity,” “Unity in Seeking Peace with Justice,” and “Unity in Welcoming the Stranger and Healing the Broken-Hearted.” Keynote speakers confirmed to date include President Carter, Bill Moyers and Marian Wright Edelman.

In addition to the plenary sessions, the convocation will feature special-interest sessions dealing with topics such as racism, religious liberty, poverty, the AIDS pandemic, faith in public policy, stewardship of the earth, evangelism, financial stewardship, and prophetic preaching.

Additional program information, including the names of other keynote and special interest session speakers, will be released as details are finalized later this year.

“Today’s meeting was an historic gathering of Baptists from the north and south, black, white and brown, theologically conservative, moderate and progressive,” said Mercer University President William D. Underwood. “All are committed to traditional Baptist values and all committed to our obligations as Christians to address poverty, health care, and religious liberty. I believe the convocation in January 2008 will be an important first step in mobilizing 20 millions Baptists to find a unified voice in addressing these critical issues. There is power in unity. We Baptists can accomplish more together than any one of us can accomplish alone. I am greatly encouraged by the spirit and commitment of the Baptist leaders who gathered at The Carter Center today.”