Lonny's Blog

We always try to do something at least once a month with the guys at KeyStone, a guys night out. This week we are meeting at a friend’s house and watching UFC. We invited everyone from the church, and then I ask the guys to invite some unchurched/unsaved friends. One of the guys responded, “I’ll see if I can round some up…”

I knew what he was saying, and I chuckled at the response, but in reality, I thought about any unchurched guys I could invite…yeah..I got nothing.

“Jesus was a friend of sinners”…hmm..who am I a friend of? When I was a teenager, those were the people I was supposed to stay away from. I guess I was too weak in my faith and I might have been corrupted, or I wasn’t the light that I was supposed to be. Listen, I get it. I wouldn’t want my kids hanging around the drug addicts or loose woman, but where does it tilt? If we are to reach the lost, doesn’t it make sense to be in close proximity to them?

I have recently had the privilege to hang out with a bunch of up and coming artists, songwriters, and musicians. Since they are just getting started, they play in a lot of small venues here in town, mostly bars and pubs. The other night, I went to a place to hear a young lady that is really going to be a great song writer/singer. I walked in and it was dark and dingy, a place like I hadn’t been in a long time. Nevertheless, I was there to support her and see what other acts were coming up.

As the night went on, I noticed that the place was primarily filled with lesbian girls…(I guess that’s redundant) young and old, over 50% of the place was lesbian. The act was closing, but I wanted to stick around to hear another girl that I am just getting to know. Then it hit me, Jesus would be here, but here’s where I got stuck, “What would he be doing?”

Here’s what I got…”Clap, cheer, whistle, (I can whistle really loud), and love on the girls that you came to support, and Lonny…just smile at everyone else!” That’s it! I asked, and that’s the response I got! The results were pretty cool. I would just walk by the tables and smile at all the girls…then…their once hardened suspicious faces kind of relaxed…and smiled back.

I have no idea of what if any impact that I might have had that night. But I do know that I am finding ways to “be in the way” of the unsaved/unchurched.  I have to look for opportunities to find them, and become their friend, without any strings attached. 

The opportunity will come to show them the Best Life in Jesus…until then…Just Smile!