A couple of Sundays ago, my pastor mentioned how too many Christians were like manure. If manure stays in one place nothing grows, whereas if it’s spread around, it helps things to flourish. That’s not an exact quote, but close enough. What he didn’t say, but is true, is when manure sits in one spot for a long time, it also starts to smell bad.
Mark 16:15 reads He said to them,”Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” That doesn’t mean you have to stand on a box in front of the Landing in downtown Jacksonville and shout the gospels of Jesus. It does, however, say “go into the world”, not “stand in one spot and grow roots”.
How are some ways you can “go” and not put yourself at risk. When you eat out, pray in public. Also, be nice to the waitress and leave her a generous tip. When a store clerk looks like she’s had a bad day, find a way to make her laugh. And when you leave, tell her God loves her. Sometimes people just need to know they’re loved. Don’t cross the street when you see that young man with the tattoos and piercings where piercings shouldn’t be. Instead give him a smile and try to make a remark about how “God made it a beautiful day today”. Sometimes the little things work better than the big ones.
To go out into the world doesn’t mean stopping people on the street. It means making others feel better. Something as simple as a smile does that. So get out there and brighten up the world with your presence. Don’t stay stuck in one spot until you start to smell bad.
That last thing this world needs is more air pollution.
