Up Close and Personal

For the past couple of years, and again this month, I have had the great privilege, along with Charlie (our video and editing expert), of interviewing people who are about to be baptized. For video. Which makes every single one of them nervous. The stories we hear are inspiring, moving and exceptional. But they’re not the typical “Amazing Grace” stories. Few describe their relationship with Jesus as having gone from lost to found or blind to see. Most describe their relationship with Jesus as one of a journey, a journey of discovery and acceptance. And one that is still going on.

In the midst of these conversations this week, I watched an interview with Dallas Jenkins - director, producer, writer…all things “The Chosen.” When asked why the Jesus in “The Chosen” seems to be so popular, Dallas gave a simple answer. “It’s because he’s real and he’s personal.” And that’s exactly right. Jesus hangs out with people. He eats, dances, jokes, plays, talks, and hugs. And every person in the gospels who experienced healing, hope, and joy; it all came as a result of an up close and personal moment with Jesus. Or people who knew Jesus. Who were also up close and personal with those around them.

The people in our interviews described the change in their lives as having come from an encounter with someone at church - in and/or outside the Heartland Church building. They talked with someone, attended a recovery group, brought their kids to our Trunk or Treat, walked in the building and felt immediately welcomed, or they heard words that, for the first time in their lives, were encouraging and life-giving and seemed to be directed straight at them. One woman described her time at church as so impactful that she got to the place where she could finally say to herself, “I’m enough.”

It all comes back to the up close and personal. Throughout my life I’ve heard the importance and call to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but it has really struck me more these last two years and in watching “The Chosen” to fully understand it and its impact. Believing in God is a life choice but having a personal relationship with Jesus is life changing.

When I asked those who were in our little studio why they wanted to get baptized, the answer was always similar. Again, not a sin based answer. Instead it was about wanting more of God and the love of Jesus, or wanting to make a statement that they’re living their life differently, or that they simply want to understand what life with Jesus is truly about. I find that so riveting. Of course, God washes us clean from our sin - that’s why His son was crucified. But with this being understood, these people are looking for life after that. Finding it and pursuing it in order to live it.

As I’ve thought about all of this during the past week, I’m struck with the fact that lives are being changed because someone was up close and personal. I’ve become even more aware that life change with God doesn’t happen from a distance. It happens because someone who knows Jesus personally took the time to eat, dance, joke, play, talk, and hug with someone who was searching and in need of the love of God.

To bring the truth of God to others, to introduce the immense love of Jesus to someone requires us to step out of our private worlds and get up and close and personal. Because when we do, when I do, life change happens. Guaranteed. To them and to us. To me.