I once sat in the seat that you’re sitting in.
Our group was serving with a ministry called The Bridge in Nashville that Tuesday evening. It was a literal bridge, and I was in a crowd of hundreds of volunteers and those seeking a dinner. Worship and a guest speaker were incorporated into the evening, and it was obvious some were more engaged than others.
After hearing countless stories in the past few months, it is easy to feel hopeless when you’re sitting with the poor in spirit and in worldly circumstance. But this day was different. This day, we heard a man sharing a part of his testimony that imparted hope into the crowd. We heard how he once sat in that audience years ago and how God turned his life around. We heard how life didn’t instantly become easier; in a way, it was much harder. He had to fight and claw his way out of complacency. If nine years ago, someone told him that he would be back and speaking to the group, he wouldn’t have believed it. It was a reminder that no matter how far down you think you’ve reached, it’s never too late to climb out. God’s grace and redemption is greater than our deepest shame and sin.
At the conclusion of the service, there was an opportunity for people to accept Christ. It was in the typical cliché manner that happens in most churches. But something really struck me to the core for the first time as I observed. God stripped away the notions that separated “us” from “them.” He stripped away the life circumstances that brought us all there at that moment. As God stirred in the place under that bridge, it just hit me like never before:
We are all on an even playing field.
As people decide to follow God, we are not only seen as significant but equal sons and daughters in His eyes. I am no different from that homeless man sitting a few feet away from me. It goes right back to the cross and the weight of Jesus’ sacrifice. How crazy is that?! Through all of our differences in the lens of the world, we are ultimately united in Him.
