What Difference Does It Make?

In her book Unbinding the Gospel, Martha Grace Reese says that she once asked a group of clergy what difference being a Christian made in their lives. Their reaction: silence.

How would you answer that question? How would you explain it to someone who does not go to church? Could you answer it in a way that the teenagers who hang out at my house, the ones I'll be substitute teaching today, could understand, without using those big religious words that clergy like me sometimes hide behind when we're not really sure what we're talking about?

Well, I've been working on my answer, and realize that there's a lot there. I'm going to share my answers here, but before I do, you might want to think about how you would answer that question.