My understanding of the Christian faith is that it isn’t supposed to be lived in isolation. It’s always in community.

But—I don’t see in the Bible where God is calling like-minded people to be part of this new community. No, for the priorities and the signs of the Kingdom of God truly to be manifest, God calls the unlikely—and the unliked. That’s the kind of community God envisions.

Jesus’ disciples were not people of money or influence or any proven intellectual acumen. Sometimes Jesus consorts with people who are of great wealth and wisdom—but he also interacts with people who are poor and who are persecuted. All of these people are called together.

For the church to be the essential, important community God is calling—then the church must be a place that calls people with a variety of opinions and many backgrounds.

- John Bell, in an interview, 7/15/09