What is the mark of a Christian? You could point to something like a cross on a chain around someone’s neck as a possible sign, but that’s not always going to be clear-cut—surely anyone can wear that if they wanted to, whether they believed that Jesus was their Savior or not. A piece of jewelry could as easily be a sentimental piece (perhaps it belonged to a loved one now passed away) as it is an expression of what is in someone’s heart. Perhaps the mark of being a Christian is attending church regularly. While that might be a better indication than jewelry choices, it’s still not a slam-dunk because what if someone is going because they're curious or feel it’s an obligation, not because they believe? Certainly, not everyone sitting in a church for a worship service could be called, or would want to be called, a Christian.

That night in the upper room, just before Jesus was betrayed, he had many heavy and difficult things to share with his disciples. Last week we heard that command to love one another, and noted that that would be their guiding life principle in the difficult hours ahead, but more to the point, in the years ahead as they would clearly live their lives as Christians, loving to all, in this fallen world.

Suspense and tension are powerful storytelling tools. The movie or book that hints that there’s something really, really wrong but doesn’t give you enough information to figure out what that thing is will probably keep you engaged because you want the resolution to that suspense. You want to learn the mystery, the secrets that are hidden beneath the surface. So the minutes of the movie tick by, the pages of the book turn, and you dive into the world.

How do you climb a mountain? On an incredibly basic level, you do so one step at a time. How do you write that long essay for school? One sentence at a time. How do you have that difficult conversation? One thought at a time. If you’re going to be ridiculous, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Breaking down a big project into smaller pieces can really help the paralysis that can set in when we’re overwhelmed by what’s in front of us. A project that might take tens or even hundreds of hours to complete probably seems less daunting if you take it in 20-minute chunks.