When you come across reports about Christians in the media, do you find yourself struggling to make a connection between what you see and the kind of faith you hold? When you discuss your beliefs, do you find yourself explaining that you are a "Christian, but"?

Perhaps, like me, you've wondered at times if the whole Christian faith hasn't moved so far away from what you live for and believe to be true that you may not even be recognized by most people as a Christian? Perhaps, too, you've wondered if there is any future for an inclusive, compassionate, intellectually honest vision of Christian faith in America.

Last year, I and a handful of others set out on an unforgettable journey across the country - on foot - visiting well over 100 churches, sleeping in over 200 homes, and meeting face-to-face with over 11,000 people in order to experience Christianity at the grassroots and answer these nagging questions. The answers we found may surprise you.

We walked carrying a document that is becoming an important theological backbone of the progressive Christian movement. The Phoenix Affirmations, developed ecumenically by mainline clergy, laypeople, biblical scholars and theologians, are organized around Jesus' "three great loves" (God, neighbor and self). The 12 affirmations articulate values that come from the heart of our faith, including:

-- openness to other faiths
-- care for the earth and its ecosystems
-- taking the bible seriously, but not literally
-- separation of church and state
-- affirming that all people are created in God's image, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people
-- standing with the poor and oppressed
-- standing for peace, and loving those who consider us their enemy
-- affirming the roles of faith and science in the pursuit of truth
-- reclaiming the connection between the arts and spirituality.

We wondered what welcome we would receive in the communities on our path. Would we fi nd that we are as alone in our vision of faith as media reports might suggest?

Based on our experiences, I can assure you that no matter where you live, if you yearn for a more generous vision of Christian faith, you are definitely not alone. In fact, your faith is shared by many, even in the smallest of towns, in the most conservative areas. Yes, even in the Bible Belt, and even by many within evangelical and fundamentalist churches.

To be sure, there's opposition out there. We were attacked by two major Christian radio shows as soon as our walk started, and protestors showed up - twice - when we arrived in St. Louis. Yet these encounters were the exception, not the rule. When we did meet opposition, it typically brought even more people out of the woodwork to lift a voice in support. In Clovis, N.M., for instance, the Ministerial Alliance asked us to bypass their town entirely, yet when the people of Clovis got wind of it, we found enthusiastic support coming from all sides, including the mayor's office, the city newspaper, a top-40 radio station, a church that had been shunned by the ministerial alliance, and even a conservative Christian radio station.

As we walked through Clovis and its environs, huge numbers of people honked, waved, and gave "thumbs up" signs. The dominant comments we heard in Clovis and all across the country were, "Thank you. You're walking for me," and, "So I'm not crazy!" We encountered progressive Christian gatherings in places where one might never guess they could be found. We found unusually strong support among the "spiritually homeless" - those who call no faith community "home," but many of whom surely would find a "home" if they knew of people with a faith like yours.

America is ready to embrace an inclusive, compassionate, intellectually honest vision of Christian faith. It's not only ready, but yearning for it far more urgently than you might guess. These claims may contradict the impression given by the media, but the media's failure in this regard is only partly due to bias.

Many people choose not to take their private faith into the public square. Some are worried about being ostracized by their churches or communities. Others erroneously believe they're the "only ones" who believe as they do, or have been told so many times that they have to step outside Christianity to hold certain beliefs and values that they've done just this. Yet when these people find each other, and learn they are neither crazy nor alone in their faith, they become more hopeful. Many become more willing to raise their voice.

This was our experience. The future of Christian faith is only in the hands of the narrow-minded and fearful if we allow it to be.

The Rev. Eric Elnes is senior pastor of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Congregational UCC. His book, "Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America" (Jossey-Bass, 2007), contains a discussion guide for use in churches. CrossWalk America's journey was supported, in part, by the UCC's Still Speaking Initiative.

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