I remember when Cathy and I took a day trip to Amish country. On our way back, we saw a small vegetable stand by the side of the road, where two older people—probably in their eighties—were selling vegetables. We stopped, got out of the car, and Cathy started looking through the veggies to see what she might buy. I noticed a sticker that said, “Jesus saves.” So I said out loud, “I like that sticker—Jesus saves.”
The old man came over to me and said, “Oh yes, Jesus does save.” I told him I knew that was true, because He had saved me.
Suddenly, the four of us were praising God together. Cathy said, “Let’s sing a hymn,” and there we were, standing on the side of the road, singing a hymn with people we’d never met before but somehow felt like we’d known forever.
That moment really fits with how I understand John 3:16-18. Why? Because I didn’t know anything about these people—I didn’t know if they were Catholic, Amish, Baptist, non-denominational, or something else. But I knew one thing: they loved Jesus and had given their lives to Him. That was our common ground. I didn’t know anything else about them, but their love for Jesus was clear. I couldn’t judge them based on politics or church affiliations—there was just no room for that. They believed in Jesus, loved Him with all their hearts, and followed Him. And that’s all that ever really matters.
