Every effort on our part to establish a wonderful and cozy club for Christians only is shattered by the words of Jesus,

"For he that is not against us is for us."

Don’t say it, Jesus!

You open up the door to the kingdom to all kinds of unsavory, unsophisticated folk and we will never be able to close it again!

If what Jesus is saying here is true, then what it implies is that all the concern for right belief, pure doctrine, creedal clarity...all of it is of secondary importance.

What matters is loving action.

What matters are gestures of grace.

What matters is not the confession of faith but the cup of cool water.

Quite frankly, I have never grasped the importance some people place on saying the right religious words.

There have been times when I have been confronted by fervent folk demanding to know what I believe about this or that and I am confused by their concern. Recently someone was in my office pushing to find out if I really did believe that we evolved from caterpillars and crocodiles.

What possible bearing has that on my journey with Jesus?

Does my confusion over the virgin birth or my rejection of a blood-thirsty God have anything to do with whether I give that cool cup of water?

I simply cannot believe it does.

What matters is the action.