In an interview published Sunday in Parade magazine, Brad Pitt, who has three biological children with his wife, Angelina Jolie, and three foreign-born adopted children, was asked why they chose to adopt from other countries rather than to choose domestic kids who needed parents. Brad replied:
“I guess I just don’t see America as separate from Vietnam or Ethiopia. We’ve got to start looking at things differently. This mentality of ‘Our team’s better than yours’—it’s a high school idea. Why do we need that in order to feel better? My kids don’t see those dividing lines, and I don’t want to either.”
What he’s referring to is the kind of thinking that divides people into “us” and “them.” It can happen in any context, but it is most insidious in the context of Christianity. This kind of thinking takes a gospel that is for everybody and makes it only available to some.
Even thinking of people as Christians and non-Christians creates barriers and prejudices that can distort the worth and value of all who have been created in God’s image.
In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul offers a helpful contrast to this distortion when he says there are “those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” What is so useful about this delineation is that it pushes the conclusion into the future. It reminds us that only God knows the eternal destiny of a soul. And though there are two eternal destinations, we are not privy to that information, nor do we need to be. Our goal is to treat everyone the same. There is no “us” and ‘them” – there is no spiritual club. As far as we know, there is only “us” – all of us for whom Christ died.
John Fischer The Catch 
The “high school” attitude of during the game includes the arrogant premature celebrations when my team appears to be “winning.” Since the conclusion is in the future – only final at the buzzer or at the end of the vote count or at the sound of the trumpet, we’d be wise to remain humble and remember by whom the victory was won.
You were incorrect when you stated that Angelina is his wife. They are not married and use the excuse to not commit to one another, “when everyone can marry, then we will”. What kind of excuse is that? Marriage is a commitment to another and to family, it’s not just a piece of paper. I’m not convinced they deserve the praise they get towards the stability of family. They do great things for charity, but that’s not what we are talking about.
Speaking of “not what we are talking about”, Susan…
John, You made my brain run right into a wall. Earlier tonight I had looked at a provocative Facebook picture of the girl my 21-yr-old son is “in a relationship” with and thought to myself, “What a skank!” Then I thought about the woman at the well and others that Jesus dealt with. Where do I get off judging her? However, it’s easier for me to be tolerant and “loving” when I am the one involved and my young adult son is at a “safe” distance than he is the one involved….. I agree it’s not supposed to be “them” and “us”, but I have some serious conflicting feelings to deal with.
Stick with it until you get it.
Not sure exactly what to make of this one, John. Yes, I see your point, to the extent that you mean we often “go too far.” But I fear this Catch goes too far the other direction. Certainly, we tend to do too much “us/them” dichotomizing. But to say there IS NO us/them? I don’t think so. Indeed, consider where you wrote: “Even thinking of people as Christians and non-Christians creates barriers and prejudices that can distort the worth and value of all who have been created in God’s image.” In the very next sentence, you quote Paul speaking of a very distinctive and important us/them – those being saved and those perishing. No, we don’t always know who those are, though we think we do. But should we really be training ourselves to think that such categories don’t even exist? I’m doubtful of that.
By putting the distinctions in future perfect, Paul is leaving us no choice but to treat everyone without distinction.