Profiling just like Jesus did.

• Position: Religion - Brief article

A pastor is encouraging Christians to practice profiling as a means of expressing their faith. It is not about a person's race or ethnicity, however. Much to the contrary, it is about connecting with others on a spiritual level and approaching, them as Jesus would. "Profiling raises the specter of racial prejucice, ethnic cleansing, hate crimes, and putting people into boxes. All of these ere evil and should make us feel dirty," declares Tom Hovestol, pastor of Calvary Church in Longwood, Colo., and Jesus Interacted with 8 Different Types of People ... and Why It Matters for You.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Hovestol set out to understand whether people tend to gravitate toward identifiable spiritual expressions and, if so, why and how? "Reading through the Gospel I noticed how diverse the cast of characters was with whom Jesus interacted and it struck me that He seamed to deal with different people differently. I wondered if there was any pattern to Jesus' interactions."

Using the Bible and other historical records--including Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, and The...