Check out today’s guest post by Timothy Baranoski, a Presbyterian pastor and US Army Reserve Chaplain that I had coffee with in Nashville last week. Thank you, Tim, for writing this — we need to hear from more Christians like you!

As a Christian, I strive to live my life as close to Jesus’ example as possible. I reach out to other people and I try to love all people. I admit that I am not perfect, but I try.

Following an invitation from a local mosque, I periodically share in Friday prayers, and I enjoy coffee and conversation with folks from other beliefs on more than one occasion. As I strive to follow Jesus’ example, I find my own faith in Jesus grows deeper through my interactions with other people – I experience Jesus’ love in a real and profound way and it makes me a better person.

As I strived to live out this love, I received an email attacking me – not for my Christianity – but for my efforts to love all people. This email clearly expressed the opinion that people of certain faiths were terrorists, and that atheists were right up there with terrorists. I was disheartened as this email came from within my own church and clearly attacked my belief in loving all people as Jesus did. My first reaction was to cry and then lash out at the individual for his ignorance; but through the grace of God, I found calm. In that calmness, I realized the email was not born out of anger but rather ignorance. This individual was responding to what he heard on the media, what others told him, and to common ignorance that exists in our society.

What should a Christian do in dealing with ignorance about other religious beliefs and even those who identify themselves as atheists or humanists? My Christian friends would say that Jesus challenged us to share the gospel with everyone to lead them to salvation and I agree with that. I believe that we should share Jesus’ message with others — however, how can we ever hope to share a gospel of love with people we hate?

I see a lot of hate among those who claim to be Christians. I see a lot of hate among those who go to church. I see a lot of hate among those who live in ignorance. This is where love and education come together. We need to take the time to have a conversation with people, to learn what they believe, and to see them as people.

It is possible to do all three but we have a good reason to start. We share life with people of different backgrounds and faiths and beliefs. I look around my own neighborhood and I see a diverse group of people from various backgrounds. I could live in fear behind locked doors and my ignorance or I can reach out to them, engage them in conversation, and develop a relationship. What would Jesus do?

Fellow Christians tell me to be careful of my contact with “non-Christians” as they challenge and weaken my faith. An amazing thing happens though when I interact with “non-Christians” – I see love. I see people who may believe differently than me but have a common goal. I see people who simply want peace and love and understanding. I find people who see Christians as hateful bigots and that hurts and then I remember the email.

Recently, I shared a cup of coffee with Chris, and I imagine the scene was comical to someone watching us. We are about as different as people can be — but an amazing thing happened. I already respected Chris for his work as a humanist chaplain and I looked forward to this conversation. In the midst of our time together, I found that I, a Jesus-following Christian, had more in common with a humanist that I imagined. It turns out that we have a common desire – a society built on love and mutual understanding.

Christians, Humanists, Deists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and so many others share a common identity – human. We are all people with the same needs but we believe in a different theology, perhaps. As I grow deeper in my own faith, I begin to see that life is what we make of it. I believe in eternal life but I believe that eternal life began the day I was born. Eternity is now and I want to live in peace and harmony with all people. It cannot be if we choose to hate people.

I am a Christian but I am also a Jesus-follower. Christians believe in the resurrection and in salvation. I am grateful to God for God’s grace through Jesus Christ. However, Jesus did more than just die – he lived a life. In following Jesus in this life, I strive to follow his example of reaching out to all people and loving them. I believe we need to be both – Christians and Jesus-followers. If are simply Christian, we become self-righteous and judgmental and this leads to ignorance and hate. Jesus would not judge without love and we cannot love without understanding.

In the end, I continue to do what I have done. I love people for who they are and I want to learn more about them. In loving them and learning from them, I experience God and I begin to see others as God sees them. To me, that is what it means to be a Christian.

Timothy Baranoski is a Presbyterian pastor and US Army Reserve Chaplain. He is happily married to Lisa with a daughter and a lover of all things Starbucks. He blogs at thetimothyblog.wordpress.com and randomly tweets @TimBski13.