I was a new student associate pastor serving a wonderful rural church in North Carolina in 1999 when I got a text message from a young girl in the church’s youth group. Let me preface the rest of the story by telling you that it was one of the first text I ever received and at the time it seemed like texting would be a passing fad. It didn’t make sense to me why many people would text instead of call. So I had a plan that charged me by the number of words.

 The text from the youth read, “Pastor Matt, my grandmother died.” On my way out of the church office I thought I should tell her what I told everyone in that church countless times, “Lots of love” but to save money I abbreviated it to “lol.”

When I got to the house of the grieving family, the youth’s father met me in the driveway with steam in his ears. He told me that his wife and him didn’t go to church because of people like me and I should not expect to see the youth in our congregation again. Before we cleared up the misunderstanding that “lol” was an abbreviation for “lots of love” and not “laugh out loud”, he asked a rhetorical question, “What would happen if Christians acted like Christ?”

Maybe the Paul had a similar thought in his head when he wrote to the Colossians, “Whatsover ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”(3:17). St. Francis of Assisi often credited with saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words only if necessary” (loose paraphrase of Chapter XVII of his Rule). I pray that we might share His love in both word and deed in all that we do.

I pray that we might preach the Gospel at all times and use words when necessary. I pray that all Christians might act like Christ.