Are Some Tickets Punched?

A few weeks ago in Cincinnati, several Trinity students gathered with nearly three thousand people to worship Jesus and learn how to follow Him better. This annual event is called the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) and next year, CCDA is returning to Chicago. I hope to see even more Trinity students and professors next year soaking in this movement of God that is renewing our church and changing our world.

As I reflect on this year’s CCDA experience, the speaker that stood out the most for me was Bart Campolo. Bart, the son of well-known evangelist and social activist, Tony Campolo, did not fall far from the apple tree. Whether you love or hate him, Bart’s straight-forward no-nonsense delivery jolts his listeners in ways that leave them thinking and dialoguing long after his message has been delivered.

This year, Bart jolted me with a statement I have thought about and dialogued about since he said it…“For some people, their ticket has already been punched.” Bart was referring to individuals whose life circumstances are so bleak that their future has already been determined or severely limited.

When Bart said this, he was speaking about a time in his life when he was unhappy as the Executive Director of Mission Year. As the Executive Director, he spent most of his time telling miracle stories to potential supporters about individuals who got off the street because of God’s saving work in their life. When he resigned as the Executive Director of Mission Year, he moved among the poor in Cincinnati, and purposely did not start a church or ministry. He works a normal job and lives among the poor like a regular neighbor. He spoke of two neighbors in particular; one who is old and homeless and the other a young girl who was raped and then blamed for being raped by her alcoholic abusive mother. Using these individuals as examples, Bart suggested that for some people, their ticket has been punched. The damage has been done.

At first, I hated what Bart said. Jesus modeled for us faith, hope, and love. He told us to overcome evil with good, and assured us we can walk in victory and transformation. Bart was wrong to have said that.

But Bart’s message was not all wrong. Bart wanted us to understand that we are not called to fix people. We are called to love. We are called to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. Bart shared that there has not been much change in his homeless friend’s life. He is still homeless. But today, when Bart walks by, the homeless man now stands up to receive a hug, and that, Bart said, is more important than “fixing” his problems.

Although I believe other services could be offered to Bart’s homeless neighbor and that his ticket has not been punched, I am thankful for Bart’s message and I respect him as a man of God. I was reminded that my first job is to love. Whether problems are solved, the sick are healed, or lives are changed, there is an inherent goodness in loving others and treating them with the God-given dignity they deserve. Simply put, if we fail to love, we fail what matters most.

By Cliff Nellis