The young boy sitting next to me was flying on his own, and heading down to visit his dad in Florida. He was a bit hungry and clearly not prepared for the delays caused by the sub-zero temps experienced in the Midwest early this year. I offered him what few snacks I had and struck up some small talk revolving around his interests, most of which were sports. Eventually we were joined by the third and final passenger in our row, Chris. He slowly engaged in our conversation and seemed interested in also helping put this young traveler at ease. When our conversation turned toward faith, and Christ, Chris became much more involved.
Although he was not a believer himself, and leaned toward atheism, he was very curious and willing to consider the ideas of God having relationship with man. However, like many, he struggled with reconciling the reality of a holy God with a world of pain, loss, and injustice. As we chatted he eventually began sharing with me about his family. The more he did the more I gained the sense that his struggle embracing the reality of God and the truth of Jesus Christ came from his childhood home.
Chris seemed to have parents whom he knew loved and cared for him, but also pushed him to succeed and become more like his brother. Yet, he was very different from his brother and his parents had a difficult time accepting or celebrating his unique qualities. As I listened to him I thought I also heard the Lord whispering that much of Chris struggles were born of a deep sense of rejection. He explained that as he grew older he slowly began rejecting the things his parents, and brother embraced, like worldly success, higher education, and their Christian faith. However, he also found himself in a strange place of lacking his own identity.
As I think back now his challenge in accepting God, the loving Father, and Jesus Christ, the sinless and perfect Son of God, makes a lot of sense. How could he accept these truths without ever having felt accepted for who he is? He had failed to truly and fully receive this all his life, and now as a young man began believing himself to be a screw up. With such a belief of himself and his own family how could Chris reasonably expect to please a perfect God? Of course he could not (none of us can on our own). I believe though that Jesus met him in that plane so that for however brief a time he could experience true acceptance from not only a perfect and holy God, but one overflowing with grace and love. By the end of our trip I was quite surprised that Chris, the near atheist, allowed me to pray with and for him. From time to time he still comes to mind and I am moved to pray for him still, that he would come to know and embrace the love of Christ. I pray that all who find themselves in dark and shadowy places would hear the voice of Jesus calling to them and would turn toward Him, and home.
"God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." Psalm 68:6
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