Welcomed and Loved

I had the strangest experience last night. And just this morning I realized what a great lesson it taught me about being an inviting church.

Susan's cousin was in town with her new grandbaby -- her first one. And we know the parents -- they used to be ACU students and have been in our homes several times. This cousin also happened to be related to one of the candidates who ran for office last night. That's why she was here in Abilene.

So, after dinner, Susan insisted that we go see this baby -- at the headquarters of this political candidate. The awkward thing about this visit is that I didn't vote for this person. But Susan told me to not worry about it -- the people there will never know.

A few minutes later, there we were in this room bursting with supporters, cameramen, reporters and the candidate him/herself. Nearly everyone there was wearing a button with the candidate's name on it. They were anxiously watching the television, monitoring the returns.

And there I was, feeling like a hypocrite, in a room full of people supporting a person I didn't vote for (however, I really liked this candidate and at one time considered voting for her/him).

The cool thing about being there was how the people there welcomed me and Susan. They had no idea what "dastardly deed" I had just done at the polling place a couple hours ago. But they treated us so well. We had access to the snacks provided. They made us feel at home.

I realize that the parallels aren't exactly the same, but I couldn't help but think of church. And what happens when an "outsider" joins us on Sunday morning -- we might greet them in our lobby or meet them as they come into one of our classes. We have no idea where they are with Jesus or what is going on inside of them. Or what they did the night before. Yet wouldn't it be powerful if we welcomed our visitors at church as Christ has welcomed us into His presence. No judgment. No condemnation. Just deep Christian hospitality - and an invitation to join us in our celebration and worship of the risen Savior.

You never know what lesson you might learn from a political race -- even if you find yourself stranded in a candidate's headquarters where you feel you don't belong. And discover one more truth about how to love others to Jesus.

Jim