I see him. Greeting time. Standing in the back of the church. Against the wall.
Coffee. Small talk. People wondering….how long they must chat…..before sitting idol for service again.
Tall one. 6 foot plus. Long haired. Giant. Biker-like. Straggly hair. Leather wearing. Intimidating one.
Alone.
No one introducing. Not fitting in with….the one’s around him mindlessly mingling with comfortable friends.
God led to go talk to him. This Giant one. Standing alone. In the back of the church.
Introducing myself. His voice speaks gently. Like a giant. Gentle-giant. That’s what he is.
Warm. Affirming. Tender where others can’t see.
And I strike down quick thinking…that makes judgement by what is seen…..before getting to know….the stranger in the back of the church.
And we learn from….this rugged one. Husband and I. Loving him. Instantly. Cause his heart is on his sleeve. And it’s….so refreshing.
From prior church…..deeply hurt and sadly grieved. And how much we have in common….
And I begin to understand from my leather wearing friend. Love isn’t always packaged tidy. And……Christian’s don’t always come smiling…..like Joel Osteen.
Love comes in many shades, many colors…..many blends. It’s what we paint the picture with that transcends time and space.
Are we stroking with a brush of love…..gentle strokes of grace?
And as we read…..God’s Word. We learn. Biker one. Knows scripture deeply.
This rugged one. On fire…..with the power of the Holy Spirit.
And I want to sit and listen to this once evangelist. This converter of sinners. This powerhouse of truth. Disguised with long hair and a long, unkempt beard. This unsuspecting Christian not fitting into traditional religions views.
And I must ask….how many more come in and leave….unrecognized, unseen, undetected….while we are busy playing church?
And I remember how…..
Truth lives strong in those who once carried much sin.
And how Forgiven Much, is a gift. And how Jesus embraces brokenness. And how Biker One is a perfect representation of grace.
Which makes me question, my own motives for being at church each Sunday?
Am I going to church…..because, well…..that’s what you do…..to check off church each week?
A complacent observer…..missing the very walk and purpose of Jesus?
Or am I going to ignite the very life of Jesus in me? Not sitting tidy in religious pews…..but getting up and going out the rest of the week…..to live like Jesus?
Like this Biker….I admire. Unidentifiable. The most unexpected Christian of all……not molded to contentment’s seat.
This stranger who is now a friend. One of the most tender, alive Christians I have ever seen.
In the back of the church…..where God’s Spirit has no hindering…..caused by the fear of man.
And how many more weekly…..come and leave…..without any one else noticing?
And then, I see her today. Old lady in tears at the preachers sermon. Weeping with hands covering face. Humbly getting off her seat to place…..her seventy year old knees on the floor.
And I know……she gets it. She gets it most of all. There….in the back of the church on Sunday.
Do we see them? Could we learn from them? Do they matter? Do we know…….
Linking today w/ Michelle @ Graceful , Laura ,On, In, & Around Mondays
15 Comments
I love this…”are we stroking with a brush of love…gentle strokes of grace? to me…this sums up all I need to ever pray…I pray I paint first in my family…then the brush stokes wider to the world around me…all making a beautiful picture of who He is…
Jen…thanks for this…will carry these words with me…
Blessing my friend…
Christians don’t always come smiling like Joel Osteen…what a powerful statement…not to bash Joel, but its true, there are hurts in all of us. we are an imprint of His heart, He doesn’t always smile either.
Ells – Yes, to paint with love, gentle strokes of grace….something we can only do as we witness the masterpiece He has painted for us! The masterpiece of the cross. And His love for us! Blessings, my friend.
Journey – Yes, noting at all against Joel Osteen. His smile is the light of Christ. But, to say Christianity always equals happiness isn’t completely accurate. I love what you said, “There is hurts in us all.” Even in the heart of God. May our pain bring us closer to Him….the one who washes us continually & so perfectly in grace.
This blessed me so much. And the beautiful way you wrote it all just brought the message alive. So true, God help us to stop judging the book by the cover. It is such a destructive force and it cause us to lose on every level.
Beauty – Amen, my friend! Amen! 🙂
I love how welcoming you are. I love your openness to a stranger. Even one who looks different. Who doesn’t look like he fits. You opened your heart. Thanks for telling me this story. I want to be this person.
This reminds me of that Casting Crowns song about the same. Such a hard truth to face sometimes…we need to always look for those who need reached out to.
Is that you painting?
A few years ago, I went to a church that had a group of prisioners visit weekly, orange suits stamped “prisoner” and all.
I was always amazed at how church members interacted with them. It was out of love and not fear. It made me proud because I’ve seen the reverse before.
Happy – Thanks for your comment. Only reason I seek out the unseen stranger, is because I too was once on the outside….and know all to well how it feels. Thankful, He found me…when no one else came looking… 🙂
Laura – No, that’s not me painting. It’s a lady at Huntington Beach in California. Always wished I could paint….but I don’t think God granted me that gifting! Lol
Amy – I just LOVE that prisoners came to your old church! And aren’t we all prisoners before we come to Christ? How symbolic & powerful how your church reached out so lovingly to these labeled ones. Such a wonderful image of grace. Thanks so much for sharing, Amy!
Bless you, Jen and your husband, for taking the initiative to talk to this lonely stranger and making him feel at home. {plus I loved your comment about not all Christians looking like smiling Joel Osteen – that made me laugh!).
Michelle – You are a blessing! Thanks for re-tweeting my post & sharing about the Biker in the back of the church. I always love your heart for Christ….and others!
Hi Jen – love this. Its so true how we pre-judge others and its so true that the inside is often the most beautiful in those who on the outside don’t draw our positive attention. Great encouragement to ‘look’ deeper.
God bless
Tracy
I love your heart and that you reached out to this man. I recently sat with 3 biker visitors at our church. They were like gentle giants out of their element. Yet, they returned to help with our Thanksgiving outreach to the community!
Tracy – Your comment makes me think of Jesus….and how there was nothing of physical beauty that we might be drawn to Him…yet, how he was the most beautiful radiating from the inside.
Shanda – I love hearing these stories of bikers in church. Have been thinking that maybe the ruggedness shown on the outside can often be to hide the tenderness that really exists on the inside! Could it be? Thanks for sharing, friend. ~ jen
Love your blog, Jen. I am an on-line friend of Mary Gemmill from New Zealand. I live in Lakeland, Florida. Mary sent me the link to your blog. Just wanted to check with you to see if you received the workbook, Under His Wings, which I co-authored. At Mary’s request, I was pleased to mail it to you last week. Many blessings 🙂