When I was in high school, the students were separated into five main groups. We had the jocks, those who played sports. This included the cheerleaders and dance teams, even though they were not competing in those days. We had a group of band students who often included the choir and ensemble kids, kind of like music-reading cousins.

We had goat ropers, the kids who loved all things agricultural and mechanical. They wore boots and could raise animals and work on stuff. There were the nerds, who loved studying, achieving, and challenging each other intellectually. And then there were everyone else, those who floated between groups, or just liked the eclectic nature of being a kid in the 80’s with no social identity.

Our youth Pastor did a great job of unifying all the groups when we met at church. We had kids from every subgroup, and it was his job to minister to all of us and get us on the same page. Likewise, Jesus had the impossible task of visiting the twelve tribes of Israel and reaching them with the gospel. He used a simple word to motivate his efforts. Check it out.

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” - Mark 6: 34, ESV.

The compassion of Christ pushed Him to reach every group. They had no one to lead them to God for salvation, and He wanted people to be right with His Father. His compassion put that desire on steroids. Compassion involves recognizing hurting people and, in sympathy, desiring to fix that situation.

When we allow ourselves to engage with people from all walks of life who share the same need for the gospel of salvation, we can reach beyond the social walls that divide us. However, we should never expect to unite groups of people. Instead, we should make disciples who will live in all those groups and reach them from the inside.

Jesus will eventually unite all those who want to be saved in the Kingdom at the end of days. That is His job, not ours. Ours is reaching everyone with that message. Ours should be loaded with compassion, just like Christ, as we seek to reach everyone with the gospel of salvation. So speak up in your group and beyond when given the chance. - Pastor Mike

BTW, I got banned from the secret cooking society for spilling the beans.