I had just finished a meeting with the pastor of a large church in my town. I walked out of this church filled with excitement and love. A large church and a small church were coming together to pastor a city! Then it happened. I hadn’t eaten lunch that day. Not wanting to eat heavy at 3:30 in the afternoon, I stopped for a simple taco. I then saw what was more important than my taco––her sign for FOOD!
A lady in her mid-30’s was standing on a street corner holding up a sign that simply read “FOOD.” As I was sliding the last bit of my taco from its wrapper, I saw another lady pull over and bring a bag of groceries from the local Hy-Vee Grocery Store. She handed it to the lady holding her sign. As I was swallowing my last bite of taco, she was just needing FOOD…of any kind!
“What is the real reason I am here?” I began to think. Is it to join forces with a church to reach a community? Yes. Is it to grow a church from 130 to hundreds? Yes. Or it is perhaps a way bigger, yet smaller reason? YES!!!!!!
You see, this thought hit me as a watched that lady receive from a “Good Samaritan:” it is our job to give up our tacos and to feed people. Not just groceries from the shelves and rows of our grocery stores; but to feed them eternal food and drink that will never perish, run out, or change.
In the middle of my short 7 minute commute back to the ivory tower of our church, I began to think of Jesus touching the woman at the well.
John 4 is the account of this woman’s interaction with Jesus, but it is verses 13 & 14 that radically grab me today…
John 4:13 & 14, “Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.'”
I have to say that the taco I had for lunch was not the best taco I had ever put in my mouth. But I will say that I am hungrier to invite people who are really hungry for something more than this life has to offer them and to allow Christ to fill them.
Also, our church will figure out a way to feed people, cloth people, give them FOOD, and not worry about our tacos!