Do you find it discomforting to deal with people who have different views than you? Different opinions? Different lifestyles? Even among people who profess Jesus?
I got to thinking about this when I read something from a political analyst — David Brooks of The New York Times. For years I read the political columnists faithfully. Then one day about 10 years ago or longer, I discovered that they say the same things over and over. Tell me a topic and a columnist, and I’ll tell you the content. So, I quit reading them. But I’ve recently seen two things by Brooks that were intelligent observations rather than rants.
He just wrote, “The political culture encourages politicians and activists to imagine that the country’s problems would be solved if other people’s interests and values magically disappeared.”
This applies to Christian life, too. Reflecting on Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees he encountered held a similar view. If you weren’t one of them, then it was as if you didn’t exist. Jesus, on the other hand, befriended and counseled all sorts of people. Prostitutes. Tax collectors. The adulterous and promiscuous woman at the well. People who were ritually (and medically in some cases) unclean.
Jesus seemed to have one goal–to bring everyone into relation with God. It’s worth asking periodically, are we getting too comfortable socializing with just “our own kind?” Or are we willing to reach out and relate to those who are not like us? Do you wish that those who are not like us would “just magically” disappear?
Faith Venture 
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