Sidewalk Preachers Are Great Role Models

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Today’s reading: Hebrews 12:1-4

I too often fall into the trap from which today’s reading is trying to lead me. I am timid about sharing my faith in God.

Regular readers of these daily devotionals may find it strange to know that I often feel awkward, or even ashamed, when talking about Christ in  other contexts.

Just take a look at the other sections of this website. I rarely mention God in those articles.

Or just come hang out with me at a restaurant with my friends. You will surely hear a curse word or two from my lips, and one lewd joke will usually inspire another one from me. But you probably won’t hear me talk much of God or Christ — unless I’m in one of my typical rants about the  hypocrisy of other Christians.

One or two people have asked me if it’s difficult to commit to these devotionals every single day.  Given the previous two paragraphs, my answer seems weird. But it’s the truth.

Not in the least, I say.

These devotionals are the “real” Don unleashed. I don’t feel awkward or ashamed to write these blurbs and share them on Facebook. This is me at my best! This is, always, the best part of my day. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

What’s difficult, ironically,  is all the secularized pretending that I do much of the rest of my day.

My inability to talk as openly as I would like about God is a sign of weakness in my spirit, but it’s also in keeping with what society expects of me.  I do it so as to not turn people off with too much “churchy” stuff — so people won’t make wide circles around my path, the way they do to the guy who preaches too loudly on the sidewalk downtown.

But the truth is, I want to be that sidewalk preacher. No, I must become him. Today’s reading is asking us all to learn to be him. He is this line personified:  “Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.” (Verse 3)

Thanks be to God for putting up with my (and our) weak faith. May I develop the nerve to, truly, take His word to the streets.