I heard an amazing testimony of faith the other day. This extraordinary leader came to believe in Jesus when he was at his absolute lowest point in life. Addicted and broken, he entered into a real relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Things changed…some quickly…some not so much. He grew in his faith as a direct result of reading and meditating on the Bible. He was so taken by the truth of God’s Word that he naively believed everything in it. So, when Jesus said this, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me’” in Matthew 25:35, he believed he was supposed to it.
His name is Edwin Colon. This remarkable individual started handing out food to the hungry and bottled water to those who didn’t have any. Edwin opened his home to the homeless and gave away his extra clothes to those who needed them. Next, he visited people in hospitals and even joined a prison ministry. His “childlike faith” didn’t know you’re not supposed to do that stuff. At least that tends to be what we “suburban” Christians think. Guess what? The result of that childlike faith started a church, grew a ministry, and impacted an East Coast city for Christ.
What if we who call ourselves “Christ Followers” simply did what He said? Jesus’ teaching and example were clear. He chose those considered outcasts to join his group of followers. He touched those considered unclean by everyone else. He broke the religious codes to heal the disabled. God gave His one and only son to redeem people. This is what led the early church to grow exponentially. It still is.