When The World Looks At You Do They See Jesus?

Had the most amazing weekend. I started out with a little relaxing time as my mom and step-dad treated us to a night at the Hilton Gardens in Oxford. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling real good, but seeing my girls enjoy the indoor pool and hot tube was worth it. Really enjoyed just getting away for a little while. Then Sunday we topped the weekend off with a trip to Philips Arena in Atlanta for Winter Jam 2012. It was as awesome concert once we got inside. But the reason I am including this in my blog is because I couldn't help but notice the actions of certain people outside the arena. The concert was a pay at the door, first come - first served concert. We got to the venue 2 hours before the doors opened and started watching. As we stood in line on the sidewalk outside the arena, an Atlanta PD officer pulled up with a prisoner transport vehicle for Atlanta Police Department. My first thought was that they were bringing inmates to the concert. It didn't take long to realize that the transport was empty. They brought it to carry away people that were attending a Christian Concert!!! I told the rookie officer that he should have an easy night there because it wasn't a regular concert but a Christian one and He laughed and said maybe. The longer we waited, the more and more restless everyone grew. People, youth groups, had been in line for over 3 hours when we notices groups of people going to the other side of the road away from where the line was forming and walking to the front of the arena and crossing over and blending in with the people at the front of the line. People were not even shy about it. They started walking right around the people in line and going to the front and "blending in". I noted the words blended in because we had a group that actually came from the front to visit some students in line in front of us that tried to get the other students to come with them. One of the boys asked them where they were in line and they said that they had just gotten there but they walked straight up to the front of the line and just blended in. I told the students that I couldn't believe that not only had actually broke in line in front of people that had been waiting alot longer than we had, but were actually bragging that they pulled it off. It made me sick to my stomach. Are these the students that we are raising in our society today? The ones that think the rules don't matter to them because they deserve better? People that had waiting in line, like they were supposed to, for hours got turned away at the door because they were sold out. As we stood there watching what was unfolding in front of us, I noticed that in almost every case, the students were being "lead" by a leader. That's when I realized that the leaders were doing their job. The good ones had their students there early and stood in line while some others just did whatever they wanted. Then I realized that for the cops working the concert traffic, there wasn't alot of difference between the crowd at a Christian concert and any other concert. Why? Some people, youth groups, church groups, and church leaders, thought that they deserved what they wanted and so what about the testimony they were creating. Some groups were even brazen enough to cut line while wearing their church and youth group t-shirts( yes it is very hard to not name names. We  know who you are and God does too.) What testimony did we leave for the people on the streets of Atlanta? What testimony did we leave for the people working the concert? When they looked at the people that call themselves His, did they see Him? I hope and pray that given another opportunity, that showing Christ to a lost and dieing world would be more important than getting 2 isles closer to the stage. As much as I love concerts, I understand that the people up on stage are just that, People. No different from you and me, and definitely not worth causing someone else to miss an opportunity to hear the gospel. Thankfully, I don't have to live with your actions, you do! Youth leaders, just remember, we expect students to act like children cause they are. Someone has to give them direction and good or bad, that is your job. Next time ask yourself, Does the world see Jesus in my actions? If not, maybe it's time to rethink your actions. My name is Jason Horn and I Am Gladly Second!!