John 7:41

Opinions in the crowd run the gamut. Some say, “This is the Anointed One!” Other are not so convinced. “How is it possible that the Messiah would come from Galilee? This is unfathomable!” John 7:41 EFP 

As is the case today, the opinion about Jesus run the gamut between blind passion and hateful disdain. But even within Christendom we can find shades of faith. There are those who burn brightly for their Loving Lord while others serve in quiet servitude to their Master. Faith is not monolithic. It is a tapestry of personalities and emotions and experiences as rich and nuanced as the myriad of people touched by the Gospel.

This text is not about those outside the community of believers. It is about those wrestling with total and partial commitment to the Savior. I sense in me a deep desire to believe, but something holds me back. Some claims of Christ and Christianity are hard to grasp. They require a step into the unknown. They can appear unsavory and untenable. But the cost of believing does not compare to the bounty of blessings that began the moment I believed. I am a child of God. I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. I have a future. I have a purpose. I live to love as I have been loved. I am an ambassador of reconciliation. I have Good News to spread. What holds me back? Nothing! Lead me today, Lord, to the place or person that needs you and what you bring.