Mystery Building

June 12, 2023

Imagine what it’s like for other people when they view Christians. Can we even see the world through those lenses any more?

A neighbor invites you to church. Why should you go? Sunday is half the weekend. You’ve got places to go, and you need to rest up before the work week starts again. You’d have to cut Saturday fun a little short.

What goes on inside that building? It’s not exactly the in-crowd. You ask a few friends, and they don’t have any idea. “I think you have to dress up,” one says. Another says, “If you go, you’d better cover up your tattoos. Some people look at mine funny.”

Still, the neighbor that invited you is a friend, even though you’re not always friendly in return, and he has a kind of spark of life about him. You hate to not go.

So you show up on Sunday, a couple minutes late so you can avoid any awkward greeting stuff. Several people turn to stare as you walk in. You think about turning and leaving, but your friend spots you, waves and flashes that big smile. He saved you a seat. Wow, he really thought you’d show up.

Quite frankly, everything in the next hour is strange. You don’t hear this music on the radio. There’s a lot of standing and sitting and reciting things that everybody knows but you.

The people make the difference. They seem peaceful and happy, like they’ve found real life. After the hour is over, they greet you like a new-found friend.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” II Corinthians 5:20

People make the difference. You can be a doorway that leads people to a connection with God.