Sunday, July 15, 2018

Proclaiming the Love we Know

Matthew 10:27 (NLT): Proclaiming the Love we Know
What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
Growing up in a small town meant that my circle of friends was close knit. This was both good and bad. The bad was when that group got involved in something risky, illegal, or hurtful, I was either with them or against them. Being a born follower, my choice was usually the former. During those impressionable years (between the ages of 11-15), I was forming an identity. And the people surrounding me were very influential. This more often turned out to be destructive.
There was one exception, however. He was older than me and a significant member of the crowd. He worked hard, saved his money, and did not get involved in the negative choices of the group. When poor choices were the norm, he chose the better way and let his example speak. It spoke loudly to me. This young man was the strong silent type, and he always reached out to me with kindness and included me when others ostracized. He was patient and a skilled fixer of things. And he is the one I remember 35 years later as my role model and influence. There was something about his character that announced goodness, kindness, hope, and care. Later in life, I both figured out and confirmed that he was a Christian. He just did not advertise it. Instead, he lived it.
As my friend’s example points out, through our baptism we are all commissioned to be both disciples (students) and apostles (evangelizers) of the Good News. This does not mean, however, that we must literally “shout [the Good News] from the housetops for all to hear!” For as we know, shouting often scares people away. Our “shouts” can be more subtle and in accordance with their context. Our “shouts,” moreover, should be reflected in the everyday way that we express love, kindness, care, and concern for others. Our “shouts” should show in the way that we include others and refrain from the temptation of gossip and judgment.
My childhood mentor -- even though he most likely had no clue he was this to me -- shouted a way of living that I found appealing. His life’s example stood out from the others and drew me in. And he said nothing to me about his faith; he simply lived it. Had I asked him about his faith, I am certain he would have opened up.
Some of us are more comfortable in directly sharing our faith with others; some are better at simply living the example. Whatever the context, whatever our strengths, let us pray to be the example in someone else’s life, drawing them and ourselves closer to Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week!

Stan

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