What This World Needs

The late Ray Stedman told the story of a Jewish friend named Arthur Katz. Early in life he became a committed Marxist. At the close of World War II he was in Germany with the American army and saw the gas chambers at the concentration camps. It filled him with hatred, first toward the Germans and then, as he realized that this went deeper than nationality, at the whole human race. He moved back to Berkeley and devoted himself to education, but came to see that education was not the answer, it couldn’t change hearts. His marriage fell apart. And so, divorced and without ties, he went out to wander. One rainy day in Greece, grubby and dirty, he was hitchhiking. He stood in the rain for hours when a car finally stopped. To Art's amazement, the driver did not just gesture for him to get in. He got out of the car, came around and shook his hand. He took Art's dirty rucksack and threw it on his Cadillac’s clean upholstery. He then drove Art to a hotel, rented him a room, and gave him some food. Finally, he asked Art what he was doing and where he was going. All the pent-up heartache, misery, and resentment of a lifetime came pouring out of this young Jewish atheist while the man sat and listened. When Art was through, the man said, “You know what this world needs? Those who are willing to wash one another's feet.”Art said, “I never heard anything so beautiful. Why do you say that?”The man said, “Because that's what Jesus did for me.” For the first time in his life, this young atheist then heard a clear presentation of what we Christians call, “The Gospel.”Katz decided to became a follower of Jesus and went on to devote his life to serving the Lord. The thing that broke through all those years of hatred, all the pent-up resentment and bitterness of his heart and life was one act of kindness which manifested to an apparently undeserving young man––genuine courtesy and kindness in the name of Jesus Christ.I’m convinced that most atheism is professed by those who have been turned off more by the cold world they’ve experienced, and not a lack of evidence for an intelligent Creator. If someone sincerely looks for God, they will see His signature in creation. But to know Him personally, people must see how this God is working in those who know Him. The best answers we can give for people’s questions about God start with our integrity, a consistency between what we say we believe and how we act in our daily lives.Knowing you, do non-believers see that Jesus Christ really does make a difference?“Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God.” –1 Peter 2:12