I was approached, once upon a time, by a young man (from a different religious background). I had just walked off the golf range, dressed sloppily. He sized me up as an unbeliever. As soon as I informed him I was a Christian, he inquired about where I attended. When he learned I was CofC, he began questioning me about believing in "works salvation". I took his own Bible away from him and read him a passage about being saved by grace. I then proceeded to testify to him that I will go to Heaven by the grace of God expressed in the crucifixion and resurrection of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Rather than be happy that I was espousing a view he held. He walked away disappointed, because he just could not reach me. You see, the only thing he saw when he looked at me was CofC.

I think about that encounter often because I have always been able to see a lot of me in him. The same type of challenge I set before my brothers and sisters at Sunshine, I would offer to him. Just as married couples stand to gain so much when they acquire their spouse's perspective, we can only gain by seeing through the lens of another.

I am not suggesting that we join the ecumenical movement. But I am suggesting that we recognize that the world is complex, the religious world is complex. The Bible shows us Pharisees who failed to acknowledge Jesus because they were bound by their preconceived ideas. The young man, mentioned above, failed to see Jesus in me because of his preconceived ideas of the CofC. I think you can see where I'm headed here...