"All Are Precious In God's Sight" by Naomi Fuller
“Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out after Stephen’s death traveled … telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however … began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus” (Acts 11:19–20).
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Bogota, Colombia, for a mission trip. We visited the “Luz y Vida Orphanage,” which housed over 200 children and young adults with physical and mental disabilities. Most of the kids there were non-verbal, but we could still communicate with them in many ways. We smiled with them, held them, hugged them, and laughed with them. I loved seeing the joy on their faces as they got to play with new people. Our group also went to three different after-school daycares throughout our week in Colombia, where we provided a Bible story and activities to teach the kids about God’s Word. We also had the chance to spend time with teen moms and their babies in a safe house. We held their young children as the moms did a craft that gave them an emotional break from their overwhelming thoughts.
Throughout every experience, it was eye-opening to notice the differences between our cultures. But even though we didn’t look the same or speak the same language, we were still able to connect with them. God worked through our group to spread love to everyone we met. I pray that our message reached at least a few people who were open to the Spirit’s work in their lives.
In today’s passage, after Stephen’s death, most of the early Christians were afraid to spread the news about Jesus beyond Jews, fearful of what the religious leaders might do to them. I would be terrified, too, if I were in their position—they had just witnessed Stephen’s tragic death. However, a few of the Christians found the courage to speak to the Greeks in Antioch. As a result, many Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
In our lives, it’s important to talk about God, not only to people that we know and trust but also to those who may be not as familiar to us. If we are only sharing about Jesus with those closest to us, how will the message of Christ reach people in our community and around the world who do not have the influence of Christians? As a high schooler, it’s not easy for me to talk about Jesus with my peers when our society continues to popularize sinful behaviors, thoughts, images, and speech. This is true in our schools, workplaces, social media, and more.
I challenge you and myself to step out of our comfort zones … to try to connect with someone we may not know as well. Show love to them—and when the time is right, we may even find an opportunity to share about Jesus.
During this season of hope and anticipation, let us show the love of Christ to those around us, despite how uncomfortable it may be, with the hope that we are contributing to a more peaceful and Christ-centered world.
Naomi Fuller