Tragedies in our lives have a way of bringing out the best, or the worst, in us. Recently, a friend of mine was shot and killed. A family, a church, and a community were deeply affected and one might think a senseless act like this might tear people apart. Quite the opposite has happened, and what I saw this week was nothing short of a miracle.

I know that many people have negative feelings when they think about “Church” in general. Many people have been victims and hurt very deeply by “church members” and have left because of those hurt feelings, that is the “church” at its worst. However, this past week I have seen the true Church at its best. I have seen an outpouring of love for one another like never before.

As I witnessed what the Church can do at its best, it made me wish that everyone who had given up on this God-given institution could have seen what I saw. See the healing between relationships. See the outpouring of love from family, churches, and the community. From this moment, I want to do my part to erase and rewrite the reputation that the Church has been given. The Church is to valuable to just “give-up” on. The Church is still God’s means of working in this world to restore our broken relationship with Him.

May believers everywhere stand with me to renew our love for the Church and reveal the power a Church can have when we are obedient to Jesus.