When we decided to feature a section in Worldwide Challenge about world religions, I wanted to write about Mormonism or Islam. I had studied these faiths; I knew some people who practiced these religions. Instead, I was assigned Buddhism, about which I knew very little.

One day at work, about a half an hour before I had planned to leave, I began some preliminary research on the Internet. Two hours later, I was still reading. I eventually packed up, arriving home late. While I stood at my sink, trying to piece together a dinner, I started to get really excited.

Christianity, a faith I sometimes take for granted, is so amazing, so simple, and yet so profound. No world religion offers the hope which Christianity promises; no religion of the world has a hero even remotely like Jesus.

One of my friends called that night; she wanted to talk about the day, about boys, all the stuff we normally talk about. All I wanted to talk about was Jesus. He conquered death on our behalf. He ended the cycle of sin. He extends supernatural grace, offering us a personal relationship with the one true God of the universe.

Not until I spent time studying another religion did I really appreciate those truths.

In the next few pages, you will have the chance to read about five major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Mormonism. And since we know the value of a good story, we wanted to introduce you to some real people who once faithfully practiced these religions. For example, I will introduce you to a young college student from Thailand who helped me summarize Buddhism.

We don't offer a comprehensive description of these world religions, just a brief summary seen through the lens of one person's story. But each person featured eventually understood my excitement at the sink that night—the excitement of knowing Christ.

As you read each of these accounts, I hope you also get excited about your faith.

For a comprehensive study of these five religions, we recommend Handbook of Today's Religions by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart. For additional resources and Internet links, visit www.worldwidechallenge.org/2003/religions.