they crave that mineral

This is adapted from a post on my old blog (caeusura) that I wrote on July 2, 2014. ***

Zachaeus the tax collector wanted to see Jesus but because of the crowds and because he was short, he climbed a tree. Jesus walked up to the tree and told Zachaeus that he was going to have dinner at his place that day. How could you resist an invitation like that? Was Zachaeus a Christian? Did he become a Christian (or a disciple)? Was he 'saved'? None of that seems particularly relevant. He was a person and Jesus interacted with him.

Jesus was (is) remarkably straightforward in his dealings with people. I sometimes wonder how Jesus would feel about Christians today and their churches. One of the things that I notice about some churches is that they have an agenda. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, the church should have an agenda. But that agenda needs to be pure and honest. There shouldn't be ulterior motives. With some groups, members want to be your friend and they want to share the message - the gospel or good news - with you, but not because those things are worthwhile and valuable in themselves, but because they want to convert you - they want a result. 

After being part of a Christian group that had many of the characteristics of a cult, for 12 years, I have an aversion to those kinds of agendas. For example, I try to avoid those people who approach you in the street and want you to make a regular donation to their cause. They act as if they want to speak to you - they feign friendliness, but it's because they want you to donate. I don't hate them. I've even signed up for some of them. But I dislike what they do, because I have done a similar thing myself, just in a different context. 

One of the things that gave me a lot of joy after leaving the group I mentioned was being around people and interacting with them without having an agenda. It felt so good, for the first time in many years, to just talk to people and interact with them for the pleasure of doing that. And to be able to say what I wanted and what I really felt, instead of what I felt I had to say.