REFLECTION
I remember meeting this guy a couple of years ago when I’d been invited to a casual, spontaneous dinner. He was crude, foul-mouthed, opinionated, and crass. I immediately disliked him. And, I liked him even less when I saw him at another function months later, and he made some off-color joke about me, and those within hearing distance got a chuckle while I stood red-faced and embarrassed. Since then, I have tried to stay away from occasions where this man may be in attendance. Whenever I heard his name, I would cringe, even when people praised or thanked him.
That is until this past week. A friend mentioned him during a conversation, and I wasn’t surprised at the rest of what was said. I figured the guy had a short fuse, no conscience, and would throw caution to the wind and allow anger to rule his actions. But a couple of days passed, and I saw a Facebook post where he asked people to pray for the very person he had sought to harm. He mentioned God several times throughout the message as he tried to convey his feelings about remorse, encouragement, and faith. He even wrote out a prayer and asked people to rally around and support the person responsible for a tragedy that had occurred a week earlier.
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I reread the post, astonished that this man had done an about-face; his anger replaced with empathy. But more than that, I was amazed that this man believed in God and asked others to join him in prayer. After all, considering the data I’d been presented, how could I have known any differently?
Bridge
I learned numerous lessons over the week, some of the largest through this encounter. Namely, I had donned a jurist’s robe and judged this man as callous, heartless, vulgar. Next, I had concluded that this man’s behavior was a blatant contradiction to how a God-loving person should look and act. Prompted by that still, small voice that frequently changes the direction of my thoughts, these two opinions caused me to do some serious soul-searching. As is usual when I go deeper in my thoughts and prayers, God brought several things to the surface. Clearly, He inserted various people in my life – some I can’t imagine my life without; others I can’t imagine why they were ever introduced. I’m sure you can relate. However, it isn’t lost on me why God put this man on my path.
Blesson
I asked myself how many times I’ve made rash judgments about others and not had the opportunity to see how wrong those judgments may have been. Possibly, some of these narrow, self-made verdicts precluded what could have been a wonderful friendship or relationship.
I also had to ask myself if others can discern that I’m a Christian by witnessing my behavior and speech. Is my behavior – is my speech – a reflection of Jesus’ importance in my life? Or is it easier for me to assimilate into the current group or situation? Good question – and one that will always be better handled when I stay tuned in to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It’s been said that you may be the only Jesus some people will ever see, and in an increasingly ungodly world, God wants to shine the light of His Son through us.
