How free do you feel to criticize other faiths and others who disagree with you? How do you go about it? Have you seen a decline in civil discourse in your culture? Have you contributed to it? So many feel free to mock openly anything or anyone that doesn’t belong to their tribe. By this they acquire a bad characteristic that does not serve them well in reaching those beyond their group. You have real and significant differences with other world views and beliefs. This is normal but does not excuse you from loving them.

Do you see yourself as on a journey? Most people accept this imagery as an expression for the growth of their faith whether they like to travel or not. The Bible is full of terms like following me, walking on the strait and narrow road, and running the race set before you. Most people in motion have a clear goal in mind, called a destination. Your spiritual walk is different in that you are not moving toward a fixed point on the surface of the earth. Yet the terms and concept still apply. For here we have no continuing city but we seek a city with foundations in the heavens.

Are you attracted to those who are educated, beautiful, and well off? Everyone is attracted to the attractive. But I was the champion and advocate for the least of these. What does this phrase bring to mind for you? Honest poor people of good character who have suffered setbacks through no fault of their own, who are kind and grateful for your ministry to them? But those are relatively easy to love. What about those who have bad habits from having made bad choices? What about those who are without morals and character? Do you judge them harshly while ministering to the other?

Do you come from a place of great prestige? Some places have a good reputation and those from that location obtain the benefit of association whether they have done anything to earn it or not. You can change your location but you can’t change where you are from. Even in this age of sensitivity one of the last prejudices and biases that can be freely expressed without fear of objection is against small-town and rural people. You are right in thinking that this is unfair, but if you are a victim of it you can take comfort in the fact that I was too. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?