And then I encouraged people to be even bolder and try and say the person’s name by looking at their name tag if they have one at the store or wherever. So often it is just a matter of sounding it out phonetically, in other words, the way it is spelled. People have been amazed that I have said their name correctly and I’ve been amazed too as I just made the effort to say their name.

I remember one day at a local store my wife Mandy greeted a woman attempting to say her name. She responded thanking Mandy and mentioning that she had been in Edmonton three months and Mandy was the first person to greet her by name. Three months! I was shocked. How many of us may have gone to a store and hadn’t even thought of doing something as simple as saying the person’s name.

This may sound simple and it is and perhaps even simplistic. But how are we ever going to know other people and know more about them if we don’t step outside of our comfort zone and into theirs?!

Otherwise it will continue to be status quo for many, with a “us” versus “them” mentality, the building and fortifying of walls and barriers of ignorance and misunderstanding.

We need to see others not simply as Agnostics, Atheists, Buddhists, Catholics, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, or whoever, but rather see them as people, as individuals, uniquely created and loved by God just as we are too.

And when we look at the Bible we see that Jesus did not have a “us” versus “them” mentality, a building and fortifying of walls and barriers of ignorance and misunderstanding.

Rather he reached across, he reached over these obstacles whether they be cultural, religious, gender, or whatever, as demonstrated with his interaction not only with Jews but with Romans and Samaritans too (two groups of people strongly disliked by the Jewish people of that time), not only with males but females too, not only with the rich but also the poor, not only with those well connected but those of little influence, and so on.