Where Outsiders Become Insiders

I noticed him at the Faith After Mormonism conference in Salt Lake City as I gave my first talk. He was alone, as were many of the attendees. It isn’t a conference which draws big crowds because of the nature of the conference. Yet the ones who come are brave. Really brave.

He came to my workshop the following day. I was curious about his story and compelled to introduce myself. As I concluded the workshop, I approached this man on the third row and said, “Hi D (protecting his identity), I haven’t met you yet and I want you to know I’m so glad you’re here.” 

D began to offer his story to me. He invited me to journey with him through the persecution he’d endured as a girl because he was different. Persecution which came from many directions, including his young women’s leader at church. By the time he was 18, he’d become an atheist and has embraced that worldview ever since. He has lived a godless life for a long time. Between my curiosity about his life narrative and his open-hearted offering, our conversation flowed easily as I learned about his “coming out” at 40. He’d lived in the shadows a long time.

“D, what brought you here this weekend?” I asked.

“My wife began attending a church which was welcoming to her and it piqued my curiosity about faith. So, I’ve been exploring faith and I don’t know where I’ll land in the end of this journey—if I’ll have faith or not. For now, I’m just exploring.” He responded.

When Truth Touches the Heart

I looked deeply into his eyes and said, “D, do you know that Jesus is crazy about you?”

Tears filled his eyes as he silently nodded back and forth in the negative.

“D, wherever you end up in your exploration of faith, let that seed that Jesus is crazy about you plant deeply in your soul. You will never encounter anyone more crazy about you than Jesus.” I said as tears wet his cheeks. We embraced and then parted.

I learned after the conference that my friend, who was managing my book table, was compelled to give D one of my books. She had no idea about my encounter with D. I love it when that happens.  It seems God is pursuing D.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

It was a gift to join God in His pursuit of D that day—to be Jesus with skin on. He longs for D to know he’s a pearl of great price and gave everything for him so that he might enter into the freedom and rest of his love. He is always inviting us to walk into His good kingdom—where outsiders become insiders and where the scorned are embraced.