Were I to take a serious look at myself from an outside perspective, who would I see? Would I like what I see? Who I am? Do I successful live a life wherein I am accurately portraying the values and the traits which I preach and which I desire?

As Christians, it is important for us to analyze our lives in order to determine if the lives which we live are in line with the values and the commandments taught by Jesus Christ. Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz paints a brilliant picture of what this meant to look like. In Chapter 4, Miller describes a conversation between himself and a young woman named Penny wherein she tells the story of her Christian conversion. Penny, like many people in America, had always associated Christianity with bigotry and racism, and was opposed to having anything to do with the religion.

Penny’s perspective changed when she met Nadine. Nadine was a Christian who spent time getting to know Penny and hear her story. She listened, cared for, and loved Penny. Nadine’s compassion allowed Penny to be more open to God, though she wasn’t open to becoming a Christian quite yet. Reading through the book of Matthew together, Penny had a realization that Jesus was a person who actually would like Penny and care for her, much like Nadine did. His and her character showed an attitude of love.

As Christians, are we living lives which reflect the character of Jesus, a person who loved and liked others? It is not enough to preach the Gospel; we must also live it with our love. Are we actively caring for others, getting to know others? Is our attitude that of people who like others and want to care for them without alterior motives, or does our everyday behavior look like bigotry and judgementalism? Because our every move and every decision, every word and every glance, represent Christianity to the world. We should all be active in demonstrating a Christian love which is inviting and open so that all people may know who Jesus Christ is.