A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to join my roommate and his family on a cruise to the Bahamas. Mind you, this was my first time on a cruise ship so I was a little nervous; I mean I’ve seen the movie Titanic and Poseidon and both those ships didn’t make it. Now, obviously that was called overreacting but hey, give me a break I’m new at this! Anyway, throughout the trip I did much like anyone would do, people watch. I saw people waiting in lines, waiting for their plane and running to catch their plane. I saw who watches movies and who doesn’t. Who keeps their window open the entire time and those who act like the window isn’t there. Who reads books and who naps and who claps when the plane lands. I saw people waiting in more lines (long ones that is), boarding a ship (a really big one), and who goes looking for their room first or who eats first still wearing their backpacks. I saw who takes in the beauty of the ocean or stays glued to their phones laying out at the pool surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. I saw the emotions of those who are ready to go home and those who wish they never had to leave. Obviously I did some serious observation. Now, hopefully this hasn’t come off like I am some major creep just watching people, trust me I did plenty of other things on this trip but if you are anything like me humanity fascinates me. To think that even though I am only seeing a fraction of a fraction of those who are alive right now the Lord sees them all, knows them all, and hears them all! To think the same God that sees me and knows me is the same God that sees and knows the people who live 800 miles away on an island is something to be greatly encouraged by.
Anyway, back to my main point. Even though the trip was immensely relaxing it was simultaneously burdening. It burdened me with one single question, what is weighing on their hearts? Thousands of people coming from all over the place to a single boat all with different situations and lives. I met people from Minnesota, South Africa, Texas, Florida, Cuba and China all with a life I know nothing about but I do know one thing, God does and he cares about every one of them. In my observations I saw people laugh like they discovered laughing for the first time, angry because things got messed up, sad because they were leaving, and a number of other emotions a person can have. But what if, and bear with me for a second, what if those people were laughing because for the first time in a long time they were able to finally rest and put their guard down? What if those who were angry and got upset with their wait staff weren’t actually angry at them but rather it was the final straw and they just couldn’t take it anymore? What if those who experienced sadness wasn’t because the trip was over but because they just didn’t want to go home to what they had left behind? What if those emotions are unveiling something deeper beneath the surface? Now, I hear you. All of this is just speculation but it can’t be ruled out. In all of my counseling training I am constantly reminded that the emotions that a person experiences is in direct correlation to something deeper that is going on beneath the surface and often times its things that we are unaware of. All I know is that I observed lots of emotions and it made me wonder what does their life look like. What are they dealing with? What is weighing heavy on their lives and do they have hope that it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Now, I have said many times before that observation can often lead to doors being opened for conversation. What I have witnessed in the past is that if you get the opportunity to talk with them and they allow you to get a glimpse of things beneath the surface my one job is to ensure I am ready with the gospel when the opportunity arises. After all, If Christ is our ultimate hope in life and death then why would I waste time saying anything else?
It is always so refreshing to read how Jesus interacted with the crowds around him. Now, I get that he already knew everyone on a level that we never will but nonetheless he was watchful over the crowds and he was ready to embrace them no matter the differences, issues, or whether he was on the way to do something or just casually strolling the streets with his disciples. His example of how to not only be present for those around him, give them the time that was needed even though he was in the middle of doing things, while saturating his speech with the gospel is inspiring.
So, here is my challenge. You might be reading this with shouts of amens and hallelujahs and in that case I urge you to continue to saturate your interactions and speech with the hope of the gospel (1 Pet. 3:15) because you have no idea what God can do with an active listener and the hope of the gospel.
However, if you are reading this and things like this have not made many mental appearances then I urge you to begin thinking about what it would look like to change that. To think about how your life would look if you took a moment to observe those around you and to remain vigilant for the hope of the gospel to invade your conversations.
The opportunities are there, but will you take them? After all, scripture says it best in Matthew 9, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”. (v.37)
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