I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my everyday interactions with other people. The question that keeps coming to my mind is this: Do the people that I interact with throughout the day know that I’m a Christian? Would they be surprised if I told them?

In John 13:34-35, we read that Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Have you ever known someone that is almost always good? And joyful, kind, patient, gentle, … (you know, all of the fruits of the spirit)? Early in my career, I had a co-worker like that. There was just something about Don. I almost always felt better after interactions with Don. We hadn’t talked about faith, but I just knew that there was something different about him. When I moved to the suburbs I searched online for a nearby church to try, and that first Sunday I ran into Don and his wife and family! Don is retired now, but he was a wonderful example for me early in my career of how to show love for others while still being effective in the workplace.

I’m not sure that I always live up to Jesus’ command to “love one another.” In addition to the workplace, here are some other challenging settings for me:

- Ballgames – I wonder if the ref, umpire, players, or other fans look at me and think, I bet she’s a Christian.

- Restaurants – Am I always as kind as I should be to the staff?

- Traffic – You all know about my struggles with traffic...

- Wal-Mart (or other stores) – Do the other shoppers or the cashiers feel loved?

I’m almost never harsh. I’m not unkind, but am I actually kind? If I do an honest self-assessment, my guess is that many of the people that I interact with don’t actually feel love from me. They may not experience joy or patience from me.

If the people that I interact with on a daily basis knew that I call myself a Christian, would it make them more or less likely to open their hearts and minds to God? I want my interactions with others to always reflect God’s love. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to be better.

FCC, let’s work together on this. Let’s love each other and our neighbors in all of our everyday interactions so that everyone will know that we are followers of Jesus.

In Christian Love,

Alicia Tate, Elder