Beside God teaching me thru my misplaced passport, he reminded me that often people don’t need a message about him, they need an example.
After sharing my passport story to the lady at the airline desk, she asked why I was traveling to the Middle East. After telling her I was a pastor and a little about what we do there, she told me that we’d have a hard time converting them. I told her she was right – we just want them to know we care. This triggered a response in her.
She told me about two ladies that she works with who are Christians but are obnoxious and try to shove everything down her throat; she told me she doesn’t appreciate that. Then she told me about her sister who is always at church, helps with the music, and supports less fortunate kids; but they have a handicapped sister who she doesn’t want to help. She asked me, “What good is that?”
When she shared these stories with me, she was not being mean; she was displaying her hurt and rejection. To sum it up - people don’t want to be lectured, they want to be loved. I perceive that people believe in God, but they don’t have much use for the church. They need an example, not a message.
