I think we can all agree that this has been one of the most difficult weeks any of us have experienced in a long time.
I spent an inordinate amount of time on social media yesterday. Here are just a few quotes from what I read and heard:
“I opened a bible today for the first time in over 10 years. I have prayed more in the last 24 hours than I have in the last 10 years. It’s a feeling in my heart I can’t explain.”
“ I don’t go to church but SUNDAY I WILL SIT IN CHARLIES PLACE. PLEASE JOIN ME. I will shake the pastors hand and say CHARLIE KIRK BROUGHT ME HERE.”
“Charlie Kirk’s death made me pick up a Bible for the first time in my life and I found a truth I didn’t know I was searching for.”
This one really did me in:
“As someone who has identified as an atheist my entire life, l picked up a bible and listened to Christian music for the first time today while sobbing… because every part of my soul was telling me to do so. The overwhelming amount of emotion I am filled with is indescribable and something I have never felt before… and I refuse to ignore it.”
Brothers and sisters, many people are hurting and desperately searching for truth right now. They might not look like you, dress like you, come from the same social background as you. They might have tattoos, piercings, are gay or trans, have various forms of addictions, you get the picture.
But we cannot turn our backs on them!
We are called to be imitators of Christ so it is incumbent upon us to see these seekers through Jesus’ eyes, not with humanity’s limited vision.
We must look beyond the physical and see what God sees-a precious soul, yearning for the peace and certainty that only God can provide.
Several years ago at a mid-week service, a man rush forward, grabbed the pastor and exclaimed, “I want to come forward. I want to accept Jesus.” You know how this so-called “pastor” replied?
“We don’t to altar calls on Wednesday, you’ll have to come back Sunday.”
I heard that the man did, by God’s goodness, find his way back into church but it was years later.
That “pastor’s” response might have negatively affected that man’s eternal life!
While we might not be that blatantly obvious in our rejection, our body language can do just as much harm, if not more, than our words.
The day of His return is fast approaching. There is no time left to turn unbelievers away with unkind words or judgmental looks.
So, what can we do? Start this Sunday: welcome a stranger at church, smile at someone who looks different, or listen to a seeker’s story without judgment. Share your own story of compassion in the comments below—let’s inspire each other to live out Christ’s love. Have you seen someone find faith in an unexpected moment? How can we open our hearts wider?
Grace in the Garden 