People

Very early Saturday morning, May 25th, I went to the railing overlooking the vast expanse of the Grand Canyon.  For a very few minutes I was all alone then came a couple of serious hikers (at least they appeared so with all their fancy equipment) who charged down the Bright Angel trail for the bottom.  Soon others followed.  [I noted again that the sun rules over men.  No sun – no men (a few exceptions).  Sun up – men up.]

Janet and I were at the same spot about 8 hours later and there were literally hundreds of people in the area.  I took note:

    Every size, shape, color, age, gait, waistline, and hairdo.

    Every style of hat, shoe, garb, backpack, earring, tattoo, and sunglass.

    Every nationality, language, faith, social and political persuasion (I would surmise).

At the Grand Canyon Visitor Center I observed two long lines – one to order food and the other for food discharge.  It struck me as to the commonality between all peoples.  All deal with the necessity of stuff in and stuff out.

At the El Tovar Lodge at the Grand Canyon, we sat in the lobby and watched people.  There were some younger children of another nationality playing and laughing – their words were strange but not their laughter.  Common to all men is laughter.  [I saw a guy changing his shirt and he too had a belly button!]

I couldn’t help but think of what else I had in common with all the people, such as a soul – mind, will and emotions.  Also in common, a need for love, touch, and peace.  Also, all have an appointment with death.  All have a belief about man’s origin – from gas, aliens, monkeys, or God.  All have a belief about death – soul sleep, all to heaven, reincarnation, or Hell.  All hold a belief about the purpose for man – save the planet, do good to all, live for the weekend, retire rich, escape, or live for God.

I couldn’t help but realize that the vast majority will not hear a clear call to Jesus from Christians and that they are closed to God’s truth finding it frivolous or stupid.

[A clear call to Jesus is not to just to acknowledge that Jesus lived, did good, and died and maybe arose.  A clear call also challenges one to agree with Jesus who taught that every man is selfish and due God’s justice, which is eternal separation from His grace and mercy.  The call also presents the work of Jesus on Calvary that makes it possible for someone to be saved.  The call also tells them to ask Jesus to accept them as their Savior and Lord.]

The vast majority don’t care about God, His will, or His Son.

We bumped into a man who appeared to be Sudanese with a T-shirt declaring that he was a follower of Jesus.  I told him I liked the shirt and he immediately responded with “Oh, brothers in Jesus!”  As I walked past people, I often looked into their eyes (life is in the eye) and sometimes thought, “Possibly a believer” for there was a sparkle in their eye.

To think that all people have both a sufficient inner witness (Romans 1:19, 2:15) and an outer witness (Romans 1:20) that renders them guilty before a holy God and yet they persist in their will and their way and they persist in rejecting the God of their breath and future.  So sad!