Denise McAllister: Can a Christian Be Friends With Unbelievers?

One of Christianity’s most treasured scholars, Saint Augustine of Hippo, wrote an autobiography called “The Confessions” in which he tells a story about stealing pears near his family’s vineyard. Late one night, he and a group of friends decided to take the fruit, not because they were hungry or tempted by its golden color or sweet taste, but because they wanted to experience the sheer pleasure of stealing. They hauled away huge loads of it, and, after only a few bites, flung the pears to the hogs, laughing all the while.