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We have all seen monumental cultural shifts taking place in our nation and world recently, often leaving Christians feeling marginalized. According to a recent Barna study, sixty-five percent of U.S. Christians feel misunderstood, sixty percent feel persecuted, while forty-six percent feel silenced because of their faith.

This sense of displacement has left some Christians defensive and bitter, even as we realize our situation is nowhere near as threatening as those in other countries. And the cultural shift to uncivil conversations today affects Christians and non-Christians alike.

While we may feel like yelling back at the world—we can find a more hopeful way.

We look at Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:43,44, NLT, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

The apostle Paul had warned in 2 Timothy 4:2, NIV, that the gospel is sometimes “in season“ and at other times “out of season” and that Christians would need to adjust to their status as exiles. Instead of striking back, which is an understandably human response, Christians can bless others.

Peter encouraged the early believers, who also felt like aliens, to “repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called” (1 Peter 3:9, NIV). If we are ever going to reach others with the gospel of Christ, we need to show genuine love.

During this unit of Christian Discipleship, your class has been studying the commands of Jesus and the biblical characteristics of a disciple. Simply put, disciples of Christ manifest Christlike characteristics; most of all love.

Your neighbors are ready for someone to love them. More than one-fourth of all U.S. adults live alone. Psychiatrists have declared that “chronic loneliness” is common in America today. People are more isolated from their neighbors than possibly ever before. In contrast, we reflect on the neighborhoods of the pre-World War II era, where people found friendship and help when they needed it most.

In a recent Influence magazine article, “Neighboring for the Common Good,” author Don Everts said,

“The time couldn’t be more ripe for Christians to resist yielding to bitter antagonism and instead choose the ancient path of neighborly love Christian exiles before us faithfully walked.

What if we, too, refused to blend in, refused to strike back, and instead became zealous to pursue the common good of our neighbors? What if the non-Christians around us began to see a wave of Christians who were humbly pursuing the welfare of their neighborhoods and cities?

At Convoy of Hope, we have seen what happens when Christians move past feeling marginalized, resist the temptation to strike back, and instead show love to one another and to those who are desperate for someone to love them.

As a faith-based, international, humanitarian-relief organization, we have served more than 130 million people throughout the world. Each year, in dozens of communities across the nation, our guests of honor receive free groceries, health and dental screenings, haircuts, family portraits, hot meals, job-placement assistance and much more at our signature events, as we become agents of hope in those communities.

 Hope to me is the essence of life, but it’s also a currency God intended to be spent. It’s not something to hoard. And the currency of hope can be food. It can be a handshake. A smile. It can be holding someone who’s lost a loved one. The more you give away, the more hope you’re going to have. If I could personally meet every person Convoy of Hope has served—every mom, every child, every family—I would say to them, “You matter.” 

A recent survey found only twenty-seven percent of non-Christians believe that people of faith “provide the majority of good works in our country.” This same survey by Barna asked non-Christians who could best solve community problems, and they chose “community members.” In other words, people trust those close to them. If Christians are going to show love to others, they would do well to start in their own neighborhoods.

The apostle Peter said, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12, NIV). 

Could it be that our current moment in culture gives us an opportunity to be a source of hope and love? I pray it is so.