I write this letter with some fear and trembling because I do not wish to be accused of judging another man's religion.

However, given your report about the emphasis of Mars Hill Church on "meeting Jesus," I am compelled to give testimony to the Jesus that I have met and have come to know - one who not only heals the sick and casts out demons, but also one who feeds those who are hungry, liberates women from their cultural bondage, dines with outcasts and traitors in society, is willing to touch those who are considered unclean, and advocates for peace without the use of the sword.

The Jesus that I have met challenges the religious legalism of his day, calls upon the religious establishment to do the justice that God requires, and advocates for those who are impoverished due to the severe repressive taxation by both the civil and religious authorities.

If this Jesus is being proclaimed inside Mars Hill Church, then why is no one reporting about this emphasis of their testimony and witness in the world? With 7,000 parishioners in attendance at worship every week, I would think that there would be enough resources among this fastest growing church in the nation to feed a mass of hungry people in our city, provide housing for hundreds of homeless people, and advocate for a change in laws that would benefit those who are impoverished - acts which would take most Christians "far out of their comfort zone." Instead, what is being reported about Mars Hill Church is an emphasis on 4th of July neighborhood picnics and community barbecues.

If the members of Mars Hill Church are confronted by a message that salvation is only possible through Jesus, then Jesus becomes all about me and my salvation. Where is the concern about the salvation (liberation) of all of those who have to scrounge for food every day, those who sleep under a freeway every night, those who cannot afford health care for their children, or those who are oppressed within our white male dominated society? Based upon the entirety of the Bible, salvation is understood to encompass all of life on earth as it is in heaven, and is not limited to getting into heaven after I die.

In fact, the Jesus that I have met has made it very clear to me that if a person wants to follow Jesus, then this person best be prepared to die on the cross without shedding another person's blood in order that others may be able to experience the justice and freedom (salvation) that God desires for all human beings.

The Rev. Ron Moe-Lobeda

University Lutheran Church

Seattle