This sounds like the beginning of a joke but its not

A Christian (me), an Indian Hindu, an Israeli Jew, an Indian Muslim, an African American, an American agnostic, and an American Baptist walk into a Thai resteraunt to have lunch. I told you this sounds like a joke ... Now that is diversity. I did not realize it at the time how diverse our group was. One of my co-workers that was there brought it to my attention the fact of everyone's religion and ethnicity.

When I reflect on this, I take it for granted that we live in a great country where we are not trying to kill each other or dispise each other. Open today's newspapers and the headlines are filled with people at war with each other. We are so far removed from what rest of the world has to deal with every day.

I realized today, we actually have many things in common. Our concerns are similar. It is my hope that as these friendships develop that I can have an impression on people around me. I hope they see something different in my life, I hope they see the real Jesus in me, not the religious Jesus that so many people in our society see and make stereo type judgments about.