Fresh Perspectives

At the YMCA in Homewood last night one of my good friends, Leo, shared some things about his relationship with God with around 30 boys.  It was very interesting because he connected his experiences from being a first round draft pick in the NFL and the ups and downs in his playing career with how God helped him navigate through many challenges. 

One of the boys I've mentored over the past five years was there last night, and my mentee started to ask Leo some good questions about God.  He has also had many ups and downs in his life, so something about Leo's message really resonated with him.  While all of the other boys and volunteers played basketball, Leo sat down with my mentee and they chatted about God for about 15 minutes.  When they were done talking, my mentee walked over to me to hang out and watch the games.  I told him, "You know, we've talked before about a lot of those questions you asked.  You could have just asked me."  And he kind of smiled and said, "Mr. B., I already knew what you were going to say about those questions.  I just wanted to hear about Jesus from someone else's perspective." 

It kind of hit me in that moment that my mentee does not attend a church (he goes with me every once in a while), though he does have a relationship with God.  He and I talk about God all the time, but it's almost always while we're hanging out somewhere in Homewood, at a sports event in Pittsburgh, driving around, or while we're sharing dinner together at my house.  He is getting his questions about God answered with Christians who are intentionally meeting him in his environment where he is at.  I think that in the long term, for his spiritual maturity, it will be good to get him connected to a church.  But for now, he is learning about God in many different ways and in many different contexts.  He is seeking out different perspectives, and he is contextualizing his relationship with God.  Those are good things.  I should not be worried about controlling his Christian experience or anything like that.  I just need to plant seeds, and I know God will continue to reach my mentee through other people as well.  That's how God often works.