A Living Testimony of God’s Work

Recently I’ve become increasingly convinced of these two things: The depravity of my sinful nature and my lack of understanding of true Christianity. This morning the latter was yet again proved to me. Recently I started writing the personal experiences that led to me believing in the Bible and in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the more I thought about what to write the more complex my thoughts became. I even changed the title of my writing twice! I wrote pages and pages that I doubt anyone will bother reading apart from me.

This morning I went to Knox College at University of Toronto to photograph it. Knox College provides theological studies and its slogan is: Knox College – Preparing Faithful Servants of Jesus Christ.

My main objective was to photograph the chapel which you see in this photo. It was completely empty so after I took a couple pictures I left my stuff inside and went to take a couple more pictures of the stairs that lead to it. Then one young lady came by and she stopped because I was photographing and she asked nicely if she could pass by, I said, “Yes, go ahead.” She asked, “Are you sure?” I answered, “Yes, go ahead. I can wait.”

A-Living-Testimony-by-Fadi

She proceeded up the stairs and entered the chapel and that’s when it occurred to me that out of the many staff, professors, and students I encountered at Knox College she was the only one who stopped because I was photographing and went as far as to ask permission to pass by! And she also was the only one who entered the chapel. Few minutes later I went back to the chapel to pick up my stuff and she was sitting, as you can see her in this photo, praying.

“See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15

That’s when I realized a testimony does not have to be complicated, lengthy, or sounds good: all it has to do is point towards Jesus Christ. And this young lady did just that by being thoughtful and kind. I am confident that her kindness has to do with her spending time communicating with her Savior and Lord.

“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Mark 10:42-44

I pray that God does not allow me to be put in a position where I feel that I am more important, powerful, or smarter than others so that the temptation of being unkind, thoughtless, and cruel may not increase. Because I’ve seen it happen so often that some Christians are so unkind and thoughtless. Not coincidentally this behavior expresses itself only in “large” Christian groups. Power truly corrupts.