Issue 1656 – Tagged – January 25, 2025
We sat at the railroad crossing for hours (actually, it was probably about 20 minutes, but it seemed longer). Whenever we thought the train must be nearly finished crossing, it would back up as cars were shuttled.
As the cars shuttled back and forth, I read the graffiti sprayed on the sides by various “taggers.” As usual, the graffiti displayed a wide range of artistic ability, from near masterpieces to hastily scrawled initials and from the sublime to the profane. While I certainly do not approve of vandals who paint on buildings, signs, and railroad cars, their work broke my heart.
More than anything else, I believe that tagging is a deep and pain-filled cry from the depths of the soul. It screams out, “I was here! Notice me! It cries out, “My life needs significance. I want to leave a legacy.”
The deepest need of any person is to find love, acceptance, and purpose. All these things are fulfilled through Christ. The best that the world can offer is some small portion of each. Much that the world provides fails completely. It offers lust instead of love. Acceptance is based on socio-economic criteria that change. It offers lies and myths, smoke and mirrors instead of true purpose.
It is no wonder that people cry out for help, even if they do not recognize it as a cry. There is a vast pool of hurting people out there. They have bought into the world’s lies and are chasing the wind. They have found the lies to be false and dropped out of society. They are attracted to cults and false religions by the tens of thousands.
In their pain, people turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, and anything else that might take the edge off for a while. Suicide is at epidemic proportions in all age groups, particularly among the young.
These people need the things that only Jesus can provide. The mandate of the church is to take the truth to a lost and hurting world (Matthew 28:16-0)
We do that with mixed effectiveness. Too often, though, the church becomes a little safe place for Christians to gather. We do not want our group disturbed by the hurting, the lost, and those seeking the truth who do not fit the comfortable mold of our congregation. In our hearts, we would be just as glad if “those people” went somewhere else.
James admonishes us not to do that.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:1-4
How well does your congregation react when someone who does not fit comes in? How is your heart towards the stranger who comes seeking?
The world is full of desperate and lost people. If we do not welcome them with the love of Jesus, Satan is more than willing to lure them to their eternal destruction through the cults.
Until next time, may your heart be prepared to welcome the lost.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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