It is important to Protestant theology that we talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This phrase has been used to beat people over the head. The phrase "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" is a red flag or a deal breaker for some people who hear it are instantly turned off to further conversation.

The idea of a personal relationship with Jesus is, for me, just a way of saying that we think knowing Jesus is a wonderful thing and spending time with the message of Jesus and the way of Jesus leads to wholeness and healing.

This would be an example of a PRIVATE space invader

It is worth noting that a personal relationship with Jesus is not the same as a private relationship with Jesus.

To be as simple as I can be on this, personal is collective while private is individual.

Many have personal time to take off from work (communal), but how that time is spent specifically private (individual).

We all have personal space (communal) but everyone has private understanding of how close to to close (individual).

A personal relationship with Jesus means that you are involved in a relationship which millions of people have engaged in. A personal relationship leads people to engage the world around us. A personal relationship with Jesus means that we go into the world (communal). Personal relationship with Jesus, by definition, is communal.

When something is personal we are pursuing a quest that address the goals of others. Personal goals are goals that others can connect with.

I have a personal goal for peace, however for peace to happen it requires other people.

Private goals however are just that, private. They are individual goals that require no other persons.

I have a personal goal to write in this blog regularly. I have a private goal to paint some of my Warhammer miniatures.

Personal is not private.