... and friends are friends forever...

One of the cool fringe benefits of following Jesus is the friends you make along the way. Most of my best friends are people I have met while on my journey with Jesus, friends from the church I grew up in, the Bible College I went to, and churches I have served in, and the church I now lead.

However if I had always stayed in the bubble of my own denomination and my own church my my life wouldn't be as rich. This is clearly illustrated by 2 lunches:

Yesterday I had lunch with one of my favorite non-wesleyan brothers in Christ. Brad Somers is a Baptist, a great guy with a great heart for Jesus and he's living that out on a pretty non-traditional way. He's planting a church among the impoverished and addicted in the north end / Gottingen area of Halifax. He challenges me and I'm closer to Jesus for his friendship.

In a few minutes I'll leave for lunch with another of my favorite non-wesleyan brothers in Christ. David MacPhee is a Catholic, a great guy with a great heart for Jesus and he is living that out in a way that is on one sense quite traditional and yet at the same time very uncommon these days. He is joining a religious order - "The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate". These guys take the love of Jesus and gospel (and Mary... I know, I know) to some of the most rough and remote places around Canada and the world. He is giving his life to a fellowship of brothers who are on a mission for Jesus. He challenges me and I'm closer to Jesus for his friendship.

When breeding animals it a well known fact that the more diversity you can get in the gene pool the stronger the resulting offspring. I think that's true of the ecclesiastical and theological pools we choose to experience. We are made stronger by allowing input into our lives from various traditions and approaches to Jesus.

So what friends are you making with people from different Christian traditions? What ways are you drawing on Christian traditions significantly different from your own? Go for it, it will enrich your spiritual life and you will be encouraged as you find that there are solid followers of Jesus everywhere including a denomination you could argue is barely Christian and the Roman Catholic Church.