A short time ago my mother and I made a trip to Texas to say goodbye to my uncle Ralph. He had followed his father’s example, and his Heavenly Father’s command, by trying to serve the Lord all his life as a minister of the Gospel. After an operation to relieve bleeding on his brain, he was losing the battle to blood clots throughout his body and was in his last days. Even though he could not speak, he still acknowledged his joy to see my mother and I by his smile and his attempts to try and tell us so. He lasted about 5 days after we left him and the Lord put him to “sleep” (1 Thess. 4:13). We shall miss him.

But the subject of this article is not the “sadness” of my uncle’s death, but the “sadness” of his grandson. This was the “sad story” relayed to me as I visited with the family…

My second cousin, whose name shall remain anonymous, had gone thru some rebellion in his teen years. He dropped out of college, left ‘good ole Texas’ and moved to the Northwest coast to “find himself”. He, being artistically inclined, found employment as a tattoo artist. He was pretty good actually, and for the first time began making his own way. But like the prodigal son, he began to feel guilty and realized he needed to get back to church and the religious environment that he was raised up in.

So, he bribed two of his tattooed friends (by promising to buy them breakfast) to go with him to find the local Church of Christ. They agreed and Sunday morning they went to visit the church.

It had a large group of steps to climb to get to the front door and as they ascended those steps they were met halfway by one of the church’s concerned, well-meaning members. He proceeded to explain to them they would not be permitted to come in until they went and cleaned up, changed clothes, and covered those tattoos.

You have probably heard similar ‘stories’ before…but this story happened. It isn’t an emotional story for the Internet. This happened to a member of my family and perhaps its happened to you or your family. That young man has never since expressed any desire to return to church, and I’m sure his two friends feel the same way.

I left Texas with two things assured in my heart and mind:
1.    As far as I can tell by what I have observed of my uncle’s life, I believe that I will find him with the Lord in Heaven some day.
2.    As far as I can tell by what was told to me, my second cousin has totally given up on the church, his Lord, and religion. That is a “sad story” and I pray that God will somehow grant change.

What about you and me? Think about it for a moment, have we “turned someone away from the Lord” by expressing our displeasure in what they wear, or how they look, or how many holes on their body are filled with piercings? James chapter 2 addresses this very thing. Sometimes, in our desire to protect our beliefs and prejudices, we become judges…and that could result in the loss of two souls: those whom we judge; and you and me - who are judged by how we judge.

Don’t find yourself being part of a “sad story”. Remember to treat everyone, visitors and members alike, with the love and respect that the Lord gave us, wherever they are. The Lord loves us inside the walls of a church building or outside those walls. The Lord loves us regardless of how we appear. God only sees us clothed as His Son… “lost” or “saved”. Shouldn’t we do the same?

Bob Chilton