That's easy. For example: "Jesus loves you, sister, and I love what you've done with your hair!"

I don't really understand the objection. To tell the Gospel, we need to be a part of mainstream culture? Who told you that?

In my mind, here's the real question. How can we be effective witnesses for Christ if we pretend all Christians look the same? How can we spread the Gospel if we pretend it's just a part of mainstream society? How can we expect the misfits to look to Christ if we tell them Christ is an artifact of the culture that rejects them?

How many times have you met a kind and loving person who rejects Christ? Someone who will look to heaven, but not to Jesus of Nazareth? I have, more often than I can count. And why? Because Christianity belongs to those people - not to me. It's part of their world, not ours. It's a part of standard middle-class conformist American culture. Christianity comes shrink-wrapped in the suburban supermarket, right between the Wonder Bread and the cornflakes. That's the myth that's become common.

That myth needs to die. Christ told us to spread the Gospel to all people everywhere. Christ is not interested in playing enforcer for the culture we happened to be born in. He is to be carried to all people everywhere, to the ends of the earth! The Hebrew apostles didn't tell the Roman citizens to become Jews. Early evangelists didn't tell the Germanic barbarians to become Romans. American evangelists in Africa today don't tell Africans to become Americans. African evangelists in America today don't tell Americans to become Africans. Our world has countless cultures and subcultures living side by side. Christ is where we can all come together.

God made us different; praise Him for that! He gave us a million different passions. We can use them to make links to one another, to found friendships, to become closer to our fellow human beings. You like fly fishing? Carry God's love to your fly-fishing friends! God needs to be praised from the mouths of skydivers, knitting champions, lizard lovers, soap opera addicts, polka players, skateboarders... and us.

I think God has a job for us. I think we can be part of shattering the myth. I think we can make people who have always assumed Christ was not for them take a second look.

Time for us to quit fretting and start praising.