City Wide Night of Worship

I walked towards the line of water coolers and saw an elderly man sitting on the faded brick eating a hot dog with a lot of mustard. The mustard colored the bottom tips of his mustache as he enjoyed the hot dogs, pastas, and casseroles provided at the potluck. He looked out smiling at the crowds of people eating together. I approached him with a smile and he looked at me. I saw his eyes. They were bloodshot and tired. You could see his story from the way he looked at you. I introduced myself and learned his name, Gene. He proceeded to tell me a fraction of his story. Tales of the war in Vietnam, his enslavement to alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes as a result of the experiences he had in war that were to much for him to handle. He described him self as a screw up. I looked at him and realized what Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 25:40 whatever we do unto the least of these we do unto him. This man was made in the image of God and I realized then what an honor it was to be speaking to him. "You have family here," I said with tears welling up in my eyes. He looked at me. I could tell that was one of the first times he had heard that. I asked him if I could call him Grandpa Gene. He reached out his hand and I took hold. He shook it firmly and began to cry. He said that it would be an honor.

A friend came up to me later in the evening that had just got done talking to Grandpa Gene. Grandpa said that there wont be a day that goes by that he wont remember last night. It wasn't food that changed his life, nor was it the fact that the church played a bunch of clever worship songs. The thing that impacted my Grandpa Gene was Love. We as the Church of Christ have the greatest gift that this world can't handle. The overwhelming Love of God that lives inside our hearts.