living the gospel

Traveling down to Haiti in March of 2009 was met with much excitement and anticipation. I did not know what to expect but I was open to all the possibilities. One of my biggest surprises was one we arrived all the people asked us if we were Christian. This seemed very odd to me and they even asked us sometimes several times in different ways. I was not used to this but tried to keep an open mind, quite honestly there are many definitions out there on what a ‘christian’ is and I didn’t know fully what that might mean in Haiti. But we spent the week learning all about and working with the Solar Oven Partners alongside of the Haitian people. We worked, laughed, and worshiped together. One of our many evenings staying up late in the church talking, the pastors eldest son Dylo sat down to share with me. He wanted me to understand something. He started, “You know when you first came here we were not sure of your group.” The community was told that this group of Americans was coming into do something for the community, not preach the gospel as other missionaries had done in the past. I thought back to when we first arrived and everyone asked us if we were Christian and thought this had made sense in the way we were received (especially because since then this has not been my experience in Haiti). Dylo continued full of heart and said, “So we knew you were not here to preach the gospel and many people did not know what to think of that, but you know… you are living the gospel. You came in to truly help the people. You came to teach us something and give us a way that the people can help their families.” My heart swelled with joy at these words and still two years later bring tears to my eyes. We need to be living the gospel. “Actions speak louder than words.” So what are you doing in the world? In your neighborhood? You don’t have to be a preacher, you don’t have to be a bible beater, you don’t even have to be a Christian (with a capital C). Jesus was blessing the people and teaching them how to help their neighbor and the stranger. Jesus reached out to those that were being marginalized by society. The outsider, the unclean, the misfits of society, that is who Jesus was with and loved. So act in love and see what happens, challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone a bit.