Compassion is Promotion

I was scrolling through my Facebook one day and noticed a photo. My immediate reaction was, Ouch, I wonder if my friend is happy about that being put on here. It wasn’t a bad photo and there was nothing sinister about it but even though I only knew this person vaguely I had a funny feeling that they would not be comfortable with the photo.

The photo had been posted in order to promote the church that they attended. In the chat that followed, I had to ask how they felt, I found out that I had been right in my assumption.

I understand the need to promote your organisation, as an author I really do understand it. It is a big world out there and there is a belief that in order to be noticed we have to make a great big noise about ourselves.

What I have trouble with, is that we have to promote our churches at all. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32. I don’t believe that He was just talking about being lifted up onto the cross. I think that He also meant that if we lift Him up in terms of preaching and showing the world what He is like by the way be talk and behave then He will draw people to Him and that means bringing people into His church.

Jesus showed compassion to all those who were hurting while He walked amongst us. If we show that same compassion to people in the community in which we live, Jesus is not going to stay quiet. He will make sure that people know where to find help in their time of need.

In my opinion, we need to spend a lot more time reaching out to the community and leave Jesus to do His own promotion.