I thought a lot about this tract, tossed aside and stepped on over and over by passersby who couldn’t care less. No doubt the person passing these out had the same goal we did: to try to address the spiritual needs of those affected by this tragedy. Why should their efforts be spurned, and ours not?
Well, there were plenty of people who spurned our efforts, too. The group that headed up to Central Park instead of down to Ground Zero had a much rougher time; they found a populace largely indifferent and unreceptive.
But I think the manner in which we try to reach people is important, too. We didn’t always talk about God, Jesus, or salvation. Sometimes people just needed someone to talk to, to know that people everywhere do care about what happens… and not just in the disconnected, general well-wishing sense, but enough to get on a plane and go talk to people right where they’re hurting. These are seeds that we’ve planted that may not grow for quite some time.
Perhaps even the person who tossed this tract aside may one day remember the act, and seek out God.
