The following contains mentions of things that might trigger people. Please read with caution or not at all.
I am privileged. I’m a white, middle-class person living in America. I go to restaurants and people serve me food. I shop on the internet and have things delivered to my doorstep. I have a car. I have money. I may not be a millionaire, I may not wear silk and gold, but I’m privileged. I grew up in a Christian home with loving family, a great education, and a supportive church family. I always had enough food growing up and I was homeschooled so I could pursue my own interests and I was never bullied or exposed to people who put me down.
I’m privileged, so why is my heart for the hopeless?
When I say hopeless, I mean every single person out there who doesn’t have a stable home, a good family, or Christ. The people on the street, the people living in slums, the drug-addicts next door. The everyday people who are living hopeless lives because the world looked at them and decided they weren’t worth it. Or the world looked at them and then forgot about them.
Slavery is a real thing. So is murder, rape, suicide, abuse, and every other horrific thing you’ve heard about.
I feel like people so often forget that.
But we have organizations that help with those things, you protest. I’ve read about them, maybe seen some. I donate to my local food pantry and/or donate money to an organization. I’m helping.
Great. But what about everyone else?
I bet you’re confused. Who else is there?
Let me clarify. When I was talking about the people who are in horrible situations, I was talking about the people the world decided weren’t worth it. And yes, it is so important to help them.
But it’s just as important to help your neighbors. Your classmates. The person who takes your order at McDonalds. The people who are hurting and hide it. The people who, like me, have enough money to get by, a house, maybe a car, enough food most or all of the time. But they don’t have Jesus. And why don’t they have Jesus? Because you didn’t tell them.
I was at a park one day, listening to music, doing my own thing. And I saw this couple with this kid. And I could feel the Spirit telling me, “I want you to tell those people that Jesus loves them. That’s all. Just call out ‘Jesus loves you’. They might give you an odd look or they might ask what you mean. But tell them.”
And I didn’t.
That’s one of the greatest regrets I have. Because who knows what would have happened if I’d followed the Spirit’s lead? I could have helped bring a whole family to Christ! But I didn’t. And now, it might be my fault that those people will never know Jesus.
It’s terrifying to tell people about Jesus when you could and probably will see them again in the hallways at school or at a store or at your job. But I can promise you now, it is worth it.
Because they are the hopeless people who are privileged enough that no one is going to bother telling them about Jesus. Because we want to help the people at the very bottom of the social ladder, but we forget that the privileged people need it to. The people who’ve got it pretty good except for the whole missing-the-most-important-part-of-life thing.
Going to Africa or providing housing for victims of domestic abuse is amazing and incredible and hard and I’m not saying you shouldn’t do those things. I’m saying you need to remember the people who are around you right now. Your neighbors, your friends, your family. The people who could hurt you emotionally and mentally. The privileged, hopeless people. Because Jesus loves them too. And He hasn’t forgotten them. “The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.”
Can you imagine what would happen if every single Christian in the world told their neighbor about Jesus? If even a quarter of those people came to church, and an eighth accepted Jesus, how many people would that be? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions?
Start it. Be the spark that lights the fuse that sets the world on fire for Jesus.
If you don’t know how, here are some ideas:
Hand out bags of goodies with Bible verses in them. Put up sticky notes in public restrooms. Ask people what they think of church, then invite them to come to yours. Smile. Be kind. Talk to the person standing alone in a corner. Show love. Show Jesus. Be the city on a hill that shines with love.
Sincerely,
Hosanna
The Church is to be the light of the world, shining with the love of Christ, and we Christians are also supposed to be the salt of the earth, bringing flavor to life and deepening the complexity of meaning.
The earth is dark, because the Church is weak and sick; the earth is bland because of much the same.
Thank you for sharing this message, Hosanna. May our Lord bless you, and help me to reach out in kindness more.
Wow