While his fellow student’s heart was filling with joy and compassion, this second student’s heart began to fill with questions and frustration.
He was a fisherman by trade and in his heart. He worked hard manual labor every day before the teacher called him.
He had given up a lot to follow this teacher and he had stood by and watched as the teacher called others to follow him — including this tax collector.
Like the tax collector, he made the connection.
He knew exactly what the teacher was saying. As he looked at the tax collector and saw his past and knew how much the teacher loved and cherished him. Continue reading A change of heart (part 2)
A group of men are sitting under a shade tree listening to their friend and teacher share his teachings.
The teacher’s quite fond of telling stories and today isn’t any different.
Growing up around Jerusalem they’re each familiar with farmers and shepherds and so the teachers asks, “If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn’t he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn’t want to lose even one of these simple believers.”
A pretty powerful picture for a group of men who had grown up with perhaps a slightly different take on farming.
After giving them a second to think on the story, the teacher continues, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
One of my mentors, Charles Diffee, shared a story with me a story about the work they’re doing with African refugees at their campground in Kaufman, Texas.
The campers come from a variety of countries in Africa and most have grown up in the Muslim faith, never hearing the story of Jesus and his love for the world.
On the first hour, of the first day, of their first refugee camp, one of the campers dove into the above ground pool and ended up diving right into one of the other campers, knocking out one of his teeth.
Charles and the staff went into action and called his dentist right away.
The dentist told them to find the tooth, put it back in the missing spot and bring the camper to his office.
At the office, the dentist told them they did the right thing and told them to return in a few months for a followup.
While they were away, the camp staff talked with the other camper who had been involved in the accident and suggested he take the other camper under his wing and show him some extra care and love during the week of camp. The relationship continued even beyond the week of camp.
A few months after the camp, the young camper was heard telling his new friend that he had become a Christian. The friend was amazed and asked him why.
He told him, “Those people at the camp showed me love like no one else had. They took care of my tooth, took me to the dentist, bought me a hamburger and then let me come back to camp! I had to become a Christian after that!”
In addition to the immediate change in faith, the camper’s principal told a member of the camp staff later that year that he was amazed at the changes he had seen in the boy’s life.
During the previous school year the camper had been a trouble maker but after attending the camp and dedicating his life to following Jesus, the boy made many positive changes in his life and was now an exemplary student.
A life changed because someone took the time to show someone in need a little extra care, love and grace.
May we all look for these opportunities in our own lives.
Emmanuel was part of the Rwandan Genocide. This is his powerful second chance story told in his own words. He takes us through these real life events filmed on location in Rwanda.
During his three years as archbishop of San Salvador, Óscar Romero became known as a fearless defender of the poor and suffering. His work on behalf of the oppressed earned him the admiration and love of the peasants he served, a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, honorary degrees from abroad – and finally, an assassin’s bullet on account of his outspokenness.
Romero was martyred for his insistence that following Christ cannot be relegated to the spiritual realm. He did not die in vain – the people of Central America say his spirit lives on in them. As their struggle for justice and dignity intensifies, his words take on renewed urgency.
Needless to say I’m looking forward to reading it…
So, what does this kind of violent love look like to you?
