Today's Chapel

This morning in chapel we had a guy from our School of Intercultural Studies speak. He has been a missioary in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He brought with him quite the stories. He spent time with people in these countries that regularly went on "jihad," and yet they accepted him with them because he showed love and care. The speaker's message kind of revolved around that. He was able to witness to these people not because he pushed his message, but because he just showed them basic human care.

I suppose that is a good message for us all to hear. Sometimes wae become so concerned with audibly spreading the Gospel that we forget to show people the care that Jesus showed others. People are going to be much more open and susceptible to the Gospel if we at first acknowledge their human needs--if we just take them as they are and care for them without passing harsh judgments. This guy could have condemned these people he was staying with, but then he would not have gotten the opportunities he did to share Christ's love--in fact he probably would have been dead.

These things aren't easy. It is too easy to pass judgments. And you know what, it's not that some things aren't wrong--some things are. This guy that spoke to us didn't like that these people were going on jihad, and he even said today that he really isn't that interested in Islam. But you know what, despite his disagreements, he still just took these people for what they were, and was a friend to them. Having personal judgments is inevitable--sin is sin, is sin, right---but we have to decide whether we're going to let these things get in the way of God's ministry.

Refering to the post below this one, I am definitely having to learn this message with some of my Christian brothers.