Pastor's Corner
A message from Pastor Andy Ross...

Past Devotionals

Something Is There That Doesn’t Love a Wall - February 25, 2005

Read Acts 9.

Dear friends,

We all have our walls, don't we? Our dividers between "our types" and "those types." We have our categories, labels, stereotypes, judgments and discernments. And we can sometimes use them too much. What I mean by that is our tendency to allow our divisions to keep us from reaching out and taking risks.

William Willimon tells the story of a secretary he knew back in the 1970s who befriended an Iranian graduate student. This was during the Iranian hostage crisis. The student had his funds cut off, and he had to drop out of his graduate program. Most of those who knew him backed away from him, for many in the country were growing an animosity toward Iranians in every which way. And yet this secretary and her husband took him into their home, and were working to find him help and odd jobs so that he could get by.

The question was asked, "How in the world did you get involved in this way with this student?"

And she replied with some frustration, slamming her fist down on her desk: "I'm a Christian, darn it. You think it's easy!?"

Makes me smile. That story reminds me of Ananias in Acts 9, who was told to go step out on a limb and be a friend to Saul - the Christian hunter. From that encounter, the kingdom of God grew and spread in mighty ways.

Anybody needing your friendship today, who's on the other side of one of your walls?

God's blessings to you this day!

Andy Ross
Pastor