Dear Robert,

It was good to spend some time with you over Christmas break. I really enjoyed hearing about your semester in India, and am so glad you had that opportunity. We sometimes tend to pull our worlds in around us like a down comforter on a cold night. There is nothing like living in another country, immersing yourself in another culture, to expand your horizons.

I have begun to work on a sermon for Epiphany. As I do, my mind keeps returning to your observations and questions about other world religions and the bold, universal claims of the Christian faith. I want to think "out loud" (or should we say on paper?) about some of those issues, thus feeding two birds with one crumb: continuing our delightful conversation, and clarifying my own thinking on the matter, in light -- especi…