I pulled up to the pump at my favorite chain of gas stations. I eat an average of one meal per day from the Sheetz kitchen, and one of their signs grabbed my attention above the gas pump.
At first, as a marketing guy, I applauded the clever sales pitch. Then, I self-righteously thought, “Isn’t that a perfectly-American headline?” My mind flashed to the studies that have demonstrated that the more income Americans report, the lower their percentage of charitable giving. The richer we get, the proportion of our income we share decreases—even in a tax system that incentivizes exactly the opposite of that.
That smugness was confronted by a spiritual realization:
Do I think the Gospel that I believe in is good enough to share?
The Gospel has repaired important relationships in my life and guided to me vulnerable places with both Jesus and loved ones. I’ve watched Eternal Life repair marriages and redeem horrible trauma in the lives of friends and fellow parishioners. The Way, the Truth, and the Life has guided three years of my therapy journey; and I’ve found freedom from decades of wrong assumptions. The Gospel has kneaded my will and helped me make selfless surrenders—even if relatively small compared to what my friends and heroes have un-held. The Gospel directs what I don’t post on social media and tempers what I do post. It’s led to more backspacing in my emails than any other motivation.
Without getting into too much of the shadows of my story, let me just say I’m still alive because of the Gospel. That extended life I’m now living is exciting because of that Good News, and I’ve watched the Holy Spirit transform the everyday realities of my friends. I’ve found that Jesus has out-dreamed and out-planned me. Using the Gospel as a filter for my words, actions, and decisions has led me to beautiful moments I still treasure. Using it as a lens through which to view cultural upheaval and geopolitical conflict has softened my responses to news headlines.
Over the last decade, the Gospel has grown expensive and valuable to me. An ethereal, religious concept has changed my very tangible daily life. It’s added color and detail and creativity beyond what I could have ever imagined for myself in the days before the Gospel changed my life.
It took a gas station sign to remind me that the treasure I carry with me is too good to keep to myself. Even on Taco Tuesday, the transformative power of what Jesus gave me is too fantastic not to share.
