Jesus was different, different from other teachers (He preaches with authority, people said), different from other men in Nazareth when He went there after His baptism by John, different in what He wanted for israel. It got Him in trouble, being different. He is rejected by his family and friends because He is different, not the same person He was before, someone they can no longer accept. We see that in today's reading from Mark's Gospel (Mk 6: 1-6) where Jesus returns to Nazareth and "people took offense at him." Jesus was "amazed at their lack of faith." Today is also the feast day of people in Japan who were different-- Paul Miki and his companions, Jesuits who were martyred in 1597 for preaching the Gospel. The rulers in Japan at the time couldn't tolerate religious differences, and that lead to the persecution, and ultimate execution, of those who spread the good news of Jesus Christ. It is hard to be different, to be someone who does not do what everyone else does, someone who has attitudes and views that run against the grain, that call into question the prevailing norms. It can lead to persecution, even death, even now, even in the 21st century. But not in the United States, you'll say. Of course, that is true in a literal sense. I wonder about the extent to which it is true in a deeper sense, though. I wonder how ofter our Christian "difference" gets us persecuted, in subtle ways. I wonder as well how often we act in ways to minimize that "difference"-- make ourselves appear less Christian-- in order to avoid that persecution and be accepted by those with whom we interact. We hear all the time how important it is to celebrate our differences, to have diverse views and perspectives. Except when it comes to religion. I listened to a show on NPR the other day in which the need to preserve "Historically-Black Colleges" was being emphasized. Many of those schools are under increasing financial pressure because they are small and do not have significant endowments, and are having trouble attracting students. The particular school being featured was not just historically black, but also Methodist, and the president of the school made a point of talking about how Methodist pastors and preachers were dropping off contributions to keep the school alive. The NPR host couldn't get away from that fact quickly enough. He wanted to talk about race and gender (the school is just for women), but the idea that a distinctive, valuable attribute of the school is its Methodist tradition and world-view was completely missing from the conversation as led by the moderator. How sad, I thought. We Christians are different, and we have made a huge difference in the world. We invented hospitals and universities, after all. We care for the sick, the poor, the marginalized every day in ways no government could. The difference we Christians make seems like it is often ignored, even ridiculed. Yet if we are not different, we're not really following Christ. Let's truly celebrate our "differentness"-- and be mindful of the ways in which we give in to the temptation to hide it.