John the Baptist was not a Christian. In fact, his followers were in something of a competition with the followers of Jesus in the first century. Yet we consider the Baptist to be a saint, as the collect prayer for today puts it “a martyr of truth.” This is consoling when you think of your friends and relatives, and the large numbers of others throughout history, who aren’t Christian. God found a way to apply Jesus’ saving and redemptive power to John the Baptist. God can do the same for others. Salvation consists not so much in having your name on a particular set of books but on how you live out the truth which Jesus came to bring into the world. If you live a life of compassion, forgiveness, generosity, love then Jesus saves you even if we don’t know how.
