When my wife and I were youth pastors in Texas we took a mission trip to work in the heart of the city of Houston. Our mission group leader was a great guy, with one quirky catchphrase. He would always tell us to really pay attention in the interactions we have throughout the day with all those we encounter because we may not only be Jesus to somebody, but we also may see Jesus in somebody. And then he would always say something like, “it’s really, sort of… Beautiful I think.”
I’ve had a song stuck in my head for a good 2 and a half months now. “Why it matters” by Sara Groves. Look it up! The final line in the song says “Show me a love that never fails. Some compassion and attention midst confusion and dissension like small ramparts for the soul, how it matters. Like a single cup of water how it matters.”
As we go about our daily lives, I think it’s one of our jobs, as the church, to watch, to pay close attention to the world that’s spinning around us. If we pay attention, not only will we catch a glimpse of something “beautiful,” but we may be the vehicle by which someone else catches a glimpse of beauty. Your kind word, your smile, your listening ear matters. “Like a single cup of water” the world awaits you who pay attention.