By Eric Blauer
As a follower of Jesus, I try to remember that he chose Judas as a disciple.
Jesus chose to live in a close discipleship relationship with one who didn’t believe he was who he said he was.
If Christ modeled such an example, what is our excuse today?
Christians should be on the front lines of interfaith work.
Christians should be the champions of religious freedom, diversity and peaceful tolerance.
Christians should be inviting others into their mission who may or may not even want it to succeed.
Christians should be offering the sacred bread and wine to those who are contemplating interpersonal betrayal.
Christians shouldn’t be afraid of opposing world views or be isolated from the epicenters of cultural dialogue, debate and learning.
Christians should always chose “a devil” as a disciple (John 6:70), to be in their life to keep them honest, humble and attentive to the hearts and minds of those who don’t believe.
And let us Christians always remember that we follow the one who was unjustly executed by secular and religious ideologues, nailed to bloody wooden beams on a middle eastern hillside while praying:
“Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
That’s how love changes the world.
