What my neighbor said about Jesus.

Wednesday night was registration night for ESL classes.  We are approaching five years of holding these classes and the last year has been quite different.  Last year we went from a 3% non-Hispanic group of students to a 30% group of non-Hispanic students, and on Wednesday, the students that registered were a pretty even mix of folks from Nepal, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, and Central America.  One of our new students had a lot to say while we were testing to see which level would be most appropriate for him. 

His English was quite advanced for someone who had been in the country for a mere four months as a refugee from Bhutan.  He talked about being born in Nepal and living there until the government started persecuting the people who were practicing Buddhist rather than the Hindu religion.  At that time his family was relocated to a refugee camp, where he spent the next twenty years of his life, and where he met Jesus.  He talked about having to meet in secret and having to hide his Bible when he carried it with him.  And he talked about how Jesus is the reason to live. 

His passion brought me to tears, as I thought of him taking risks so he could grow in his knowledge of Christ, and meet with his fellow believers.  I thought of all the seemingly trivial excuses I had come up with over the years to put off reading a Bible that I have never had to hide to ensure my physical safety.  I thought about the times I just didn't feel like driving over to church and gave up opportunities to be a part of the community of faith, a community that is like a family to me even.  There has been no cost for me to be a Christian in the United States and I have missed so many opportunities to sit at Jesus' feet and be challenged by my brothers and sisters in the faith.  And here sitting in front of me was someone who was 100%.  It is all about Jesus, he kept saying.  His actions screamed, Jesus is worth taking risks. 

I thank God that I had an opportunity to spend time with a neighbor who loves Jesus enough that he shined that light into my heart and life.  I pray that I will have the courage to do the same inside and outside of the doors of the church building I walk into every day.