Loving Like my Lord

Isn't it funny how we as Christians tend to steer away from the "sinners" or "heathens"---basically the non-church goers, even though this was the group that Jesus spent the majority of His time with?
I think about my life and how sheltered it has been. The only times I haven't been completely surrounded by people with the same religious affiliations were at my different jobs. It started off simply enough when I was 17 and working at Subway. (Yes, you can giggle softly to yourself because I was a "sandwich artist" yet, I feel it should be noted I was promoted to a "crew leader in 3 short months--quite the feat.) I worked with a few people who had colorful words intermingled in their vocabulary and who might tell a crazy drinking story here or there. I then worked at Hollister for awhile and got introduced to all the crazy drinking stories from my two managers who were in a fraternity together at Oakland University along with high school students who regaled me with their crazy antics from the weekends. Next, I entered the restaurant world and was surrounded by those who were stunned by the fact that I had never smoked, drank alcohol, or had sex, and I was 20 years old. I was in fact called a "unicorn" because someone my age with all these characteristics shouldn't exist. Now I work at Abercrombie and Fitch and almost all of my co-workers go to OU and like to party. I have always pulled away from this group in the past. I would often go into work I get along with everyone, but at the end of my workday I'd leave and never really talk to anyone outside of work. However, this time I made a concious effort to be different. I actually began to hang out with these people outside of work, and they are good people.
Then the other night I had to endure one of the most awkward conversations revolving around religion, and how those outside of the church see Christians. It stung. (Oh and side note the people who were talking had no idea I was a Christian or went to church or anything. I had jut met those people that night.) I always kind of knew that a lot of people think churchgoers are judgmental and harsh. There are the perceptions that we consider ourselves better than you and that if you don't regularly attend church, pray, and read your bible you will burn in Hell. I say this harshly to make a point... Whether of not those perceptions are indeed true if that's the vibe we're throwing out there how can we ever reach those people?
I want to start off by sayind I am far from perfect. In fact somedays as I'm leaving church there are times I'm tempted to lose my temper driving because someone cut me off on the way home. It's ironic to me that Jesus called us to be know by our love for one another--which I think most of us can handle--yet what about our love for everyone else? Are we showing the love bestowed upon us by Christ to everyone we comeinto contact with, or do we just skate by with a friendly smile? I'm guilty. In the past I've pushed away from people because I knew we didn't have much in common and basically I felt pity for them for leading such an empty life full of drinking and partying. Now, I have to reconsider things because I was wrong to have those opinions. Those thoughts came from going to church and being taught to be like Jesus. Wait... I'm going somewhere with this.
I've sat through many sermons that have proclaimed our need to be like Christ. Look at the huge WWJD movement when we were all taught to reconsider our actions and be like Christ. Now this is a great idea because we should be like Jesus; however, we often make Jesus into someone that he was not. We have this pretty picture of him walking around with his followers, being adored by all, and preaching the word to an audience longing to hear the words he spoke. To an extent this is true, but many also hated Jesus. He surrounded himself with sinners because He knew that was the crowd of people who needed him the most.
If He were alive today Jesus would be talking to those people who hang out in bars and go partying every night they can. He'd be going down to Cass Park and talking with the people there. We do need to be available to those people who know Jesus but have just stopped going to church for a few months without a doubt. I'm just also saying we need to love everyone like Jesus loves us--unconditionally. We need to stop judging and start caring more. It's hard to do but Jesus asked us to and He promised us that He would never ask us to do anything that we did not have the strength to handle. So, let's remember to love like Jesus--that is all.