Scott Sauls is the senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Recently Scott wrote Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those Who are Tired of Taking Sides. We spoke with Scott about what it means for Christians to pursue unity based on how Jesus interacted with those who didn't agree with him.

1) In the intro to the book, you say you are "tired" from the constant partisanship in our country, much of it conducted by Christians. Do you think the sometimes harsh tone of our engagement has harmed our gospel witness?

I’m not the only one who is tired. I think most Christians have come to believe that a harsh tone is not helpful to our gospel witness. How many times have we heard someone say they came into a relationship with Jesus because a Christian scolded or lectured them? Having been a Christian for 27 years and a minister for 18, I have still not met one. Scripture is clear that as far as Christians are concerned, our words ...