i agree with penn . . .

a friend sent me this video of the magician penn (of the famous penn and teller). it's another fascinating look at Christ-following from a person--penn--who is a genuine atheist. i love what penn says about sharing your faith...he says "how much would you have to hate someone NOT to share your faith in Christ with them, ESPECIALLY if you believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life i.e. heaven" (my paraphrase). honestly, i have never thought of it this way until now, and penn is incredibly articulate in his observation. whether you are a Christ-follower, an athiest, a seek, a new-ager, a student of torah, a buddhist, a satanist, or any other...if you believe that your faith is the only way to knowing your God--and conversely that without God you are destined for eternal darkness (hell)--it would be extremely hateful NOT to do whatever you can to help other people understand your faith.

sharing the sole importance of a spiritual walk with Christ is everything to me . . . it is why i live and breath: to speak the words He has spoken to me. Jesus is the most loving truth i can share with you, the essence of every part of my being, the life that flows through my veins, and the light that shapes my heart, my thoughts, my actions. i try desperately to avoid "proselytizing"--as penn recounts it--because it has been done so unlovingly by christians in the past who've failed to live out the truth they say they believe. though hypocrisy often seems unavoidable, i focus very intentionally on inhabiting the way of Christ through my life so that i can become a reflection of the God i serve. . .and i agree with penn that it is hateful to neglect sharing what is foundational to my whole life simply because it may cause discomfort between myself and those who might disagree. so, i will continue to love all people with Jesus' incredible compassion--irregardless of whether they agree with me--and i will continue to share God's offer of relationship to all and His warning to all of refusing God's grace, as it is written in the pentatauch (hebrew sciptures) and new testament. isaiah 66:22-24, john 3:16-17, 35-36