Unexpected Transformation

Grace for All

Made in His Image

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here!

When I came across this passage of scripture recently, I immediately thought about an unexpected moment that transpired on a Good Friday about 25 years ago. At the time, I was a Major in the Air Force stationed in California at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Vandenberg is about an hour north of Santa Barbara right on the Pacific coast. It’s a beautiful place, and our mission at Vandenberg included launching satellites and testing missiles. It was a fun place to be stationed.

One spring, I was headed out of the office a little early on a Good Friday. I needed to get to Calvary Baptist Church to sing in the praise band for that evening’s services. As I was headed out of the office, I let my deputy, Tom, know that was leaving and I would see him on Monday. As I told him I was headed to Good Friday services, he said, “Hey Major, can I ask you a question? What is this Good Friday thing all about?”

Well, as you can imagine, I was taken a little aback. At the time, Tom was as solid of a human being as you could find. From Kansas; Married with a kid on the way; he had previously served in the Marine Corps in special operations; he ran triathlons on weekends for fun; just a great guy. I was surprised, so I said, “You’ve never celebrated Good Friday or Easter?” He told me that his family had never attended church in Kansas, and no one had ever really tried to recruit him.

Now, in the Air Force, they kind of frowned on us recruiting for church, especially if you were the supervisor. So, I delicately told him the story of the Passion of the Christ…in about 15 minutes…I had to get to church.

That short exchange resulted in Tom and his wife exploring various churches and eventually becoming followers of Christ. They ultimately had three children and have raised all of them in the Christian faith.

I would like to think that our brief exchange on that Good Friday had a little bit to do with their new path. Tom and his family live in northern Virginia where he still works for the Department of Defense. I miss seeing my friend, Tom, but I am so glad he seems to be happy and healthy.

You never know when your words about our Christian faith will positively impact someone. And who knows, because of your encouragement, “the old has gone, the new is here!” I encourage you to take the time to share, especially if the door is opened by someone seeking more information about our risen Christ.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, thank you for all you have done for us. Thank you for allowing your story to touch the hearts of new followers. Help us to help others find the new. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by John Cherry.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [e-mail].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.