Critics of Christianity look at the way Christians dealt with slavery and racism and blamed it on the Bible. Charles Manson blamed the murders his cult committed on the song Helter Skelter from the Beatle’s White Album. Paul McCartney, who co-wrote the song with John Lennon, said it was about a playground apparatus. I’m going with Paul on this one. Maybe we should take another look at this passage in Ephesians.

The passage we’re looking at this week is one of the most misinterpreted, misused, mangled, misrepresented, maligned and man-handled (literally) passages in the Bible. If you read it out of context, it sounds like something the Taliban would say. So, let’s read it IN context.

Most people find the results of holiness to be attractive, compelling and beautiful; but we’re not sure we want to live holy lives. We imagine a holy life to be colorless, bland and a little sad. What if we have imagined wrong?

Here’s one of those “Duh,” statements: People are so different. They are. In fact, some of them are downright weird. Why is that? Why didn’t God make us all more alike? Maybe then we’d get along better. But what if our differences are by design?

According to those genetic testing companies, it happens all the time. You send in your DNA sample and when the report comes back you discover relatives you didn’t know you had. Or you get an email one day and the message reads, “Hi – I think we may be related.” Ever wonder how you’d react if that happened to you?

Maybe you grew up in a church that emphasized correct doctrine. Or one that focused on social justice. Or maybe you didn’t grow up in a church at all. You just tried to be kind and live a good life. Those are all good things. But all the correct doctrine, justice, kindness and good living in the world do not make us right with God. What does?

People are messy. And broken. And blemished. But to God, we are his glorious inheritance. Not for what we are, but for where we came from. And who we belong to. And that makes you and me and everyone you meet special.

The first installment in this series is a reading of the entire book by a diverse group of readers. Which is fitting since one of the main themes in Ephesians is unity. Listen or watch for a moving service in song, scripture and prayer.