What do we show the world?

What is it the world sees when they think of or look for the Christian Church?

Is it the boundless love we give?  Is it the calm in the storm?  Is it the grace that flows freely from the throne of God? Is it political fights and hypocritical people that see specks in spite of planks in our own eyes.

Today in our Lenten services we here the story of Jonah in the belly of the fish, all alone or is he?

Here is a wonderful story I found on bible.org by Keith Krell.  Here is a link to this article I took the story from

One tribe of Native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves.¹ On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods…by himself…all night long. Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many.

After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.

So just like this brave, Jonah was not alone. God was with him, just as God was with Jesus on the cross…

So do we show the world our love, and our unshakable nerve in the face of fear?  Know that no matter where you are or what you situation is, God is with you.