Every Life Has a Story
This video clip was made to train Chick-fil-A employees how to think about and treat customers who come in to the store. It’s about compassion for hurting people. It made me remember, over three decades ago, my preaching professor in seminary saying many times, “Preach to broken hearts.” Now, when Sunday rolls around, I am always aware that many of the people walking into our church are carrying enormous loads. Some heavier than others, but all are carrying a load of care or disappointment or failure of some kind. I am pretty sure that I have never missed a Sunday when I did not earnestly pray that God would somehow lift the downcast in the congregation and put a new song in their hearts that they might “go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands…” (Isa. 55:12).
There are broken-hearted people in the church, and everywhere we go… everyday, we encounter only one kind of person – a person with a story – a person who needs the ministry of Christ.
What a wonderful thing it is to live in a world where there are people who walk around with eyes, hearts, and tongues full of love and mercy like Christ did while He was on earth. Often when we are frustrated or annoyed by the people around us, we should stop and remember the parable Christ told in Matthew 18 about the servant that was forgiven so much and then turned and demanded full payment of a small debt from a fellow servant. Let us take to heart Christ’s admonition “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” Matthew 18:33.
Watch the video clip above and consider the multitude of opportunities God gives us to display the love and kindness of Christ to those around us. It is much easier and more common that we are locked in our insular worlds and unaware and unmoved by the inconveniences of hurting people.
