Who's Watching?

[Cloudwalker]

In her sermon today our pastor mentioned how people were watching us.  It reminded me of an example of this.

When I was growing up my dad and I were very involved in The Lay Witness Mission movement. (That was a lay renewal program.  I will be glad to tell you more if you want.)  My 10th was Dad's 20th.  We have the dubious honor of having been on the team for the only Mission that the church voted as a failure.  I happen to know it wasn't.  My dad told me about what happened years later.  During that weekend there were 3 boys that were always together.  If you saw one you saw the other two.  Two were team members and the other was from the town.  And I know for a fact that the team members never once stopped to consider whether or not they should include their friend from the town in everything, whether it was the sessions or the team meetings.  They just included him.  I know that they didn't think about it because I was one of them.  I found out years later that our including him changed his life.  Be careful what you do, or say.  You never know who may be watching, or when God will choose to use you.

[Fenris]

I think our mission as God fearing people is to behave in such a manner that makes people understand that one can live a Godly and fulfilling life. To lead by example, if you will.

Separate from that, my dad always told me to act as a Jewish emissary to the non-Jewish world. If someone was only to have one interaction with a Jewish person, make sure that it is a positive one. I haven't always lived up to that, but I have always tried.