Into the Fire

While it would seem half of our population resents Christianity and dismisses most of the message and its deliverers, the truth is somebody’s listening. Somebody hears the words spoken by Christians, written by Christians, sung by Christians, and sometimes those somebodies respond. The reason might be clothed in how well the message was spoken, written, and/or sung, but the truth has always been God chooses the medium and the messenger with the Holy Spirit’s prompting to a dead or scattered soul. Whether it be street talk or professorial apologetics, somebody listens.

Christians sometimes use all kinds of cutesy phrases to demonstrate the basic gospel. People shudder, frown, roll their eyes, or wonder at their meanings, including other Christians. Yeah, some of them are silly, ridiculous, kitschy, and even offensive, but more often than not they expose some truth. Whether on a bumper sticker or a reader board, the world observes them and makes a judgment call. Somebody in this country no doubt can give a testimony about being influenced by a bumper sticker.

I’ve shared with you before how I had to teach myself to cuss and swear. I wasn’t raised to be improper. The worst thing I ever heard my mother say—and if she wasn’t in heaven, she’d die on the spot of embarrassment and shame to have this posted—was when I was a little girl and we were driving. I remember the location to this day. Of course I wasn’t paying attention to other drivers—I don’t know if I was tall enough to see them at the time. I suspect somebody pulled out in front of her and nearly caused an accident because she responded in a fear-etched voice: “A-hole.” She didn’t even use “ass”. She immediately apologized to me when she caught her breath. She was such a lady. I wondered what that meant for years until I remembered the incident much later in life when I heard someone use it where there could be no mistaking its intent. I gave you that example of my sweet mom because sometimes there can be no better word(s) for certain situations.

***Okay: here’s a warning for those of you who are offended by language. I rarely find the use of bad language entertaining, and although this doesn’t contain cuss words, it does include a reference to the above “description” pertaining to a person. I feel guilty admitting this, but I have to tell you this bumper sticker made me laugh out loud in the parking lot of our local Super Mall and remains one of my favorites to this day. Ready? Here goes: “Jesus loves you. Everyone else thinks you’re an asshole.”***

Now I’m sorry if you find no humor in that, but I find it to be a truthful statement in so many ways. All of us before Christ are ugly, depraved, and clueless as to our states of sinfulness. We have no idea how putrid and deadly the sin in our lives is to us. Half of us couldn’t even identify sin because we’ve rationalized almost everything we’ve ever done that we knew was wrong. And yet Jesus loves us. Love like we can’t imagine. In spite of us.

We can assume our words of faith get ignored, disputed, or put down, but God can use them, especially when they’re Spirit-led and inspired. We might not get to participate in the direct results, but from what I understand Jesus knows what we’ve done in obedience to Him. He knows for whom our heart beats and what it desires. If we think the world isn’t listening, we can be sure God is. And per His instruction we must speak the truth in love.

Lord God, help us all to believe that someone is listening to the beautiful message of your love, and help us to keep speaking that message in whatever form we can. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.