I dare you. The next time you have dinner with friends, enthusiastically tell them that God recently answered your prayers. (That is, if you are dining with atheists, agnostics, or even Christians.) Most will look at you and nod in agreement or out of politeness. Some might even ask you to elaborate or offer an anecdote of their own. Friends will eat, laugh, and the chatter will carry on easily. Then, pick up the conversation again and mention that Jesus did something wonderful for you.

The room will go silent. You will feel shivers go up and down their spines and no one will know how to respond; for one good reason. Talking about God is almost socially acceptable, but say the name, Jesus, and folks cringe. This phenomenon has always intrigued me. Why is it that speaking one name of the same deity is easy, but using his other name stops conversations dead?

We know that this is biblical. After all, Jesus said himself that he will be a stumbling block. I get that. Those who love him will say that they try to follow his teachings, ask him for guidance, and believe that it is through him that we…