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“If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the unbelievers do that? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:47–48, EHV

It can be easy to stick with the people you know and establish yourself in a close-knit group, but this does nothing to help in the spreading of the Gospel. As followers of Christ, we are called out to connect with those who may not fit the mold. Christ didn’t just stick with the religious leaders, nor did He stick with just the outcasts. His ministry led Him to interact with all groups. He sat at dinner with Pharisees and enjoyed the company of tax collectors. We, too, are called to be open to conversations with those who may not be seen as the norm for followers of Christ. Our calling is to share our lives and engage people in the faith, not only through our words but also through our kindness. The Church is truly diverse. Not in the way that we often define that word today, but as it was meant to be defined, as Christians, we are not to cut out those with whom we disagree. A meal is a meal, and the focus is not on self, but on caring for one another. Jesus met with those whom many thought were not proper people to be seen consorting with at the time, but the Gospel accepts the broken and seeks to lead all who are searching into Christ’s peace.

Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.