Nuestros Pensamientos: January 2010

A few months ago, Angel, a guy from Infusion (Horizonte Church young adults' group) brought a friend, Enrique, with him. Angel and Enrique have been neighbors and best friends for year. Angel had invited Enrique to church before (when he attended a different church in QRO), and Enrique didn't want to go back. So when Angel invited him to Infusion, he didn't want to go. Angel told him that it's really just a group of young people hanging out, eating, and talking about the Bible. NO preaching, just conversation. After lots of prodding and promising that if Enrique didn't like Infusion he didn't have to come back, Enrique came.

His initial greeting to all of us was, "Hi I'm Enrique. I'm not a Christian." (What is this, non-christians annonymous??) And no one even batted an eyelash, just welcomed him and sent a plate of chips and a coke his way, and joined him into the conversation.

Enrique was raised in a Catholic family, but didn't like the "traditional-ness" and felt like he was obligated to give money if he wanted to go to heaven. So he quit church. He knows a good deal about the Bible, and actively participates in biblical discussions in Infusion. But he has his own set of rules for life, and doesn't want any other rules imposed on him. (No worries, his "rules" DO include abiding by the laws of the country!)

Anyhow, Enrique continued to come to Infusion for about 2 months, and attended the Infusion Christmas party as well. At the party, he asked Lluvia (one of the Infusion leaders) if it was ok if he kept coming to Infusion even though he's not a Christian. Of course Lluvia said, YES, we'd LOVE for him to continue coming! And Enrique said that he'd made more good friends in Infusion in the last two months than in college that last two years. He went on to say that he didn't understand why a group of Christians would want HIM to hang out with them, since we know he doesn't believe the same as we do. We told him that he's more than welcome to not only come to Infusion, but also to invite any friends he'd like - even if they're not Christians, or they're some other religion. Just that we're going to keep talking about the Bible and Jesus, and how Jesus has changed our lives, and how He can change everyone's life.

Enrique - the guy with a church-phobia - has now even been coming to Sunday morning services at Horizonte. He even brings another neighbor friend - Fernando - who is 15, and also wonders if it's ok for him to come to church even though he's not a Christian. Between all the Christmas parties, birthday parties, hiking trips, and random get-togethers that we've had in the past couple months, even Fernando has gotten to know some of the other high school kids. Even though like 5 or 6 other high schoolers have told him that he should come to high school youth group, he still says he doesn't know anyone there... But hopefully he'll realize that the other kids DO want him to come, and he'll GO.

We know that God is working in the hearts of Enrique and Fernando, and trust that soon they will both begin a relationship with Him. See? You DON'T have to be a party-pooper weirdo Christian to be a good example to those who don't have a relationship with God... I truly believe that God wants us to be a part of our cultre! Just to be aware of things that are not pleasing to God, and participate in all that IS pleasing to God!