Contagious is defined as: “1. spread from one person to another by direct or indirect contact and 2. likely to spread to and affect others”
We know about contagious in the context of a cold or flu or COVID, and we’ve heard of super spreader events when a whole group of persons become ill because they attended a social event with a person who was contagious. Personally, I know about contagious as my grand boys shared pink-eye with me. It just takes a little togetherness and poof! you’re unwell.
Having been contagious got me thinking about how there might be a positive spin on being contagious. Posing the question are we Christians contagious? Are people catching the Gospel from us?
We are called to go into all the world and make disciples:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20
and Paul reminds us:
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
However, if the love we have is harbored in selfishness, or arrogance, or a belief that you must worship my way only, or an attitude of it’s just me and Jesus against the world, how can we be contagious Christians? An article I read recently in The Lewis Center said 40% of the people who do not attend a church but still believe in God said the reason they don’t go to church is because of a bad event or bad experience in church that made them dislike “church people.”
So, this Lent season, I encourage us to be contagious Christians. Allow the love of God: Father, Son, and Spirit bubble up out of us and spread to others so that they too may be affected by this wonderful, gracious, loving God we serve.
May we in this body of Christ be super spreaders of the Gospel.
Blessings on your journey,
Pastor Pam Wells, CGMC
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