Diotrephes OR Demetrius

Today’s reading (3 John) is filled with talk about friends. Some dude named Gaius is commended for being a great friend, friends are sending greetings, in the background there’s a song playing by the Rembrandts, and there are good looking people dancing in a big fountain.

But the interesting thing to me is that in the middle of all this there’s a guy named Diotrephes who is put down because he’s out for himself and gossips about others and isn’t very caring. Then there’s a guy named Demetrius (couldn’t they have normal names, like Mike and Steve?!) who it says is “well spoken of by everyone.”

And reading that, you have to ask the question, “Which am I? When my group thinks of me, do they kind of roll their eyes because I tend to care more about myself than them, or because of the things I say about them? Or am I well spoken of by everyone?”

It’s not a bad question to ask. So which are you? Diotrephes or Demetrius? (Mike or Steve?)