The Invisible Elephant in the Room

Major lesson to Christians - you never, ever, ever know your audience.

Make a comment about the right and good Christian conservative views - the kid in the front row is just starting to check out Christianity, and he's voting for Obama.

Talk casually to a group of "close friends" about the violent, abhorrent murder of babies that women commit every day - one of them might have had an abortion.

Discuss reaching out to the "gay community" even though when you see two girls kissing it "grosses you out" - someone in your prayer group may be struggling with same-sex attraction.

We assume so much in casual discussion, but the truth is that we don't know who we are talking to, and we never will. There is never a "safe place" to talk casually or flippantly about sin that you assume is "far away" from the people you're talking to. There's never a "safe place" to demean or mock a differing political or philosophical view.

Stop assuming that everyone has the same past and ideas and sins and struggles. No, don't gloss over sin. But be aware that the moment that you say that "girls just don't struggle with pornography," the girl next to you is caught in it. When you say that "depression just means you aren't relying on God to give you joy," the faithful servant of Christ across the table has been fighting depression and loving Jesus for all his life.

A little less assuming wouldn't go amiss.