I have a friend in his thirties. He is from the Middle East and when not freshly shaven really does fit the physical profile of someone you wouldn’t be overly comfortable with on your next flight. Every time he flies he is “randomly” pulled out of the line for very close scrutiny. Each time he is given the assurance it is “random.” The last time on a trip from Boston to Florida he was taken into a room and undressed down to his boxers. He is a Catholic. He loves the Lord and has a cross tattooed on his shoulder. He was accused of belonging to a secret society because that was “the sign.” He did make his flight.
He is a very kind, unselfish, loving man. After you get to know him you find he fits Jesus’ description of His followers; “Men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” He understands that. The tattoo was something done when he was young and impulsive. Why is it that I think Jesus’ disciple Simon Peter would have had several tattoos had they not been forbidden?
Character building and the way we treat others is the core of Christian behavior. Gandhi once said he would have become a Christian but he didn’t because he met a lot of Christians. Our demeanor says so much more than our pious words. Paul wrote in Romans 12, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” It’s not natural to do this. It is easier to be “me first.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 5, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org