The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion

This week as I left my new church family to attend to my father's funeral, I was reminded that even though I was far away, we were still connected through prayers and bonds of Christian friendship. As I presented the homily to those assembled for the funeral, I saw Christians and non-christians together and realized that in order to reach the un-churched and the anti-christians we need to not wait for special occasions like weddings and funerals in order to share the Faith. We can't keep it to ourselves. The story must be told.

A post at Patheos last December by Ben Witherington titled "The Narcissism of ‘Solitary Religion’"
reinforces my impression.

"Augustine tells the story of Victorinus, professor of rhetoric at Rome. Victorinus had a lot of sympathy with Christianity, and used to read the Bible and Christian books. He would say to Simplician ‘You know I really am a Christian already.’ Simplician would reply ‘I will not believe it, nor will I rank you among Christians, until I see you in the Church of Christ.’ Victorinus would reply ‘Do walls make Christians?’ He kept the jest up for a long time, but in the end the professor came where he knew he belonged, and joined the mixed company of the Church of Rome.It has always been so. It was at the beginnings of Methodism when a ‘serious man’, we do not know his name, said to John Wesley, ‘Sir, you wish to serve God and go to heaven? Remember that you cannot serve him alone. You therefore must find companions or make them. The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.’"

We have to share His story. I believe that in order to do so we have to study, study, study, and live and grow in Faith with a Christian community.

They are out there.

Don't be fooled by cheap imitations.