John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath…” Luke 3:7

John the Baptist, what a character! He ate locusts and wild honey, and his clothes were made of camel’s hair (Matthew 3:4). He wasn’t exactly on any List of the Top 100 Best Dressed people in the world! Some found him downright obnoxious. But boy was he fearless (and peerless too). Not only did he dress and eat strangely, but his message was direct: you brood of vipers!

We have people like John the Baptist in our midst today. And like days gone by, not a lot of people accept them. How so, you ask? Think of someone with multiple piercings or a bright green Mohawk. Think he (or she) would be accepted in most churches? But would it be different if you looked his way and saw him raising his hands in true surrender and worship? You see, we accept people who are a little different from us, but not a lot different. Sadly, we all fall into that trap from time to time.

We need to ask God to be more accepting and less judgmental. It doesn’t always come natural to us. There will be people in heaven who look, sound, and smell quite different than we do. We might as well get used to it here.