"Is my friend a bad Christian?"

"So is my friend a bad Christian?", Frances asked me last thursday over lunch. I met Frances earlier this year while eating dinner in the first year residence. Frances is from Taiwan and is studying music at UBC for a year. She and I have been meeting regularly to talk about life and faith. This particular question stemmed from me explaining to her why Varun and I aren't living together before marriage. Many of her friends who claim to be Christians have done so, hence her confusion.

I proceeded to explain to Frances that unlike other worldviews or "God stories", Christianity isn't about being "good" or "bad". We're all bad. No matter how hard we try, we'll all mess up and walk away from God...that's called sin. As I explained to her that Jesus lived the perfect life and then died for all of the bad things I've done, all the bad things Frances has done, all the bad things all of us has done, her face lit up. Little by little, Frances is coming to understand that faith in Jesus isn't about trying really hard, it's about letting go and accepting God's forgiveness.

Towards the end of our conversation, Frances asked if she could invite her friend Jennie to our next meeting. Frances insists that Jennie is Christian but doesn't know how to be one. Tonight, we'll be having dinner together and I'm praying that God will open up a door for me to share the Gospel with them.

Please join me in praying for these two interested girls!