Under God?Exemplo

You Have One Job

A seventyish-year-old minister named Richard Foth tells a story you’ve gotta know. Foth spent about 15 years in Washington D.C., where his job consisted of befriending government leaders and sharing Jesus. Nothing political. Just Jesus. Most Tuesdays started with a breakfast with ambassadors and international workers. Foth had a friend who kept coming back. He was a very prominent judge and an ambassador to the United States. This man, we’ll call him Paolo, had a PhD in comparative law, and didn’t read the Gospels until age 68. One Tuesday morning, Paolo spoke up. “You know, I travel everywhere to help countries. They tell me ‘we need more laws.’ But after reading Jesus, I tell them, ‘No, you need more love because where love stops, the law starts.’”

Where love stops, the law starts.

Countries turn into non-stop political news cycles during election season because everyone wants to get their candidate elected so they can make the right laws, so life can be good. But, Paolo, a man whose life is the law, reminds us that there’s another way. As Jesus-followers, how often do we give up on love and resort to law? How much further and faster could we go with love? Who are we not reaching with love because of our hunger for law?

On another Tuesday morning, Paulo made this vulnerable confession to the breakfast regulars. “I do not believe in another life after this one. I’d like to believe, but right now I don’t.” Paulo went on in his wonderful accent, “I was asking myself what I’d miss about this life if I were to die. The first thing that came to my mind was this group on Tuesday mornings where the men love each other, love me, and talk about Jesus.”

Why would Paulo, who did not yet believe, value breakfast on Tuesday above all else? Because men like Foth were doing their job. They understood their ambassadorship of Christ’s love to the world, to Paulo.

So, what’s our one job? It’s the same as Foth’s. We’re to be ambassadors for Jesus to this world. Or, as Paulo put it, we just need to love each other and talk about Jesus.

Pray: Holy Spirit, it’s not easy, but I’m asking You to show me where I’ve given up on love. Show me where I’ve leaned on law, politics, and government instead of showing people Your love. Amen.