Craigslist and me. Matt. 5:14-16

Lately, I have been relying on Craigslist for so many things: selling, buying, giving away free stuff; it's just the best tool that has come around in a long time! I couldn't help but notice under the discussion groups one night that there is an ATHEIST discussion group on Craigslist. Now, I do not recommend visiting this site, the profanity and ugliness of the entries is not "whatsoever things are pure", HOWEVER, compelled to reach out to a few of the writers, I entered the "room" to bring light. I was amazed at the responses. They called me names, terrible names at first and commanded that I leave their hallowed grounds, but their ridicule and profanity did not scare me off, nor offend me.

Choosing to teach school to city kids for years has taught me to look past the profanity, crazy hair and clothes and see into the eyes and the hearts of very hurting and lonely souls. These MASKS they wear are used for protection; to hide behind. It reminds me of some of God's creatures I see at the zoo. They have these crazy spines and colors given to them to scare off predators. It's kind of funny when you think that humans do the same things to ward or scare others off.

Old time preachers used to (and some still do) enter into bars to preach to those nursing their hurting and broken lives with alcohol. Some preachers were kicked and punched and thrown out of these establishments. I'm sure all received verbal abuse, but they were reaching for lost souls. This "virtual bar room" was pretty rough, but worth reading the disgusting entries in search of a soul willing to listen.
There WAS someone willing to listen! And discovering that his mother attends some type of Christian church regularly, did not surprise me. She was, most likely, praying for him that very moment. Because his experience with "church" left a bad taste in his mouth, he deduced that there must not be God. He had encountered religion, but not God.
God forbid that we offer people religion and not introduce them to the Almighty, powerful, wonderful, incredible, mysterious, loving, personal, all-knowing Savior. Remember, there is just one tiny little letter in between the words atheist and theist. Look past those masks into hearts and BE LIGHT in this dark world and help me pray for this soon to be "theist". Matt. 5:14-16: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."