Bob changed my life and the life of my church. He’s given an elder and his wife (Don and Pat) a huge ministry as 
they’ve helped him open a checking account and work toward debt free living.
I get more joy from Bob than he’ll ever understand. Whenever I say goodbye to him at the YMCA or when I hang up the phone he always tells me to “give his love to my family.” He asked me to baptize him this June at our next baptism.
I’m saddened by the reality that I almost missed Bob simply because I was too engrossed in my own little world. It reminds me of a story that Jesus told about The Good Samaritan and the priest too busy to notice the man in need on the side of the road.
Crazy how I write books on being relevant to the world around you, and I almost let this opportunity slip right through my fingers. Crazy how I just published my new book The Fine Line which talks about this exact reality:
Despite all this drama going on in the background, the melody line of Jesus’ story was undeniable.
If we could ask the unfortunate man in Jesus’ story which of the other characters was most relevant to him, what would he say? He would say it was the one who stopped, got off his donkey, cleansed his wounds, attended to his needs, and paid his medical bills. He would say it was the Samaritan.
The temple-employed priest and the Scripture-spouting Levite were entirely irrelevant to the injured man. But the Samaritan, the social outcast and “irrelevant” man of the day, became relevant when he displayed love for someone else.
I’m thankful that God didn’t let Bob slip away and I’m honored that he allowed me to play a small role in Bob meeting Jesus.
In case you’re wondering let me assure you, the endorphins rush in evangelism put any elliptical machine to shame.
I’m still flying high.
(Excerpt from The Fine Line: Re-envisioning the Gap between Christ and Culture. Used with permission from Zondervan Publishing. ISBN: 0310285453)
Kary Oberbrunner, MDiv, DMin, is a self-proclaimed “Recovering Pharisee” and founder of Redeem the Day Ministries. The author of The Fine Line, Called, and The Journey toward Relevance, he serves as the Pastor of Discipleship and Leadership Development at Grace Church in Powell, Ohio. Kary and his soul-mate, Kelly, are blessed parents of Keegan and Isabel. Contact him at www.KaryOberbrunner.com or watch The Fine Line movie trailer at http://vimeo.com/1455355
