Cross-Friendly Christians

Paul argues that there are too many "enemies of the cross." But what does it mean to be a cross-friendly Christian?

One of my favorite things to do while walking along a deserted stretch of shoreline, is to watch for objets d'art in the sand to pick up, observe and throw back. As I walk, my eyes automatically scan the beach area for stones. Not just any stones, but the smooth, flat variety that can be sailed out along the surface of the lake, hydroplaning in a bouncing, skipping fashion until only inertia depletion allows them to slip into the water and sink to the bottom.

Sometimes it becomes a game to see how far I can throw the stone, or how many "skips" I can achieve when I toss it. Yet, every time I have this experience, I am fascinated by the rings created by the impact of the stone on the water. They flow out from the point of impact, and theoretically, the effect of that little pebble is felt on the opposite shore no matter how far distant it may be. One small pebble, one tiny change, one very minute difference effects changes in an entire life system.

Call this the "El Nino" effect, if...