Some things are frustrating to hear about. Various studies are showing that the fastest growing religious group in America are the “none’s”. These are people who mark “none” on surveys when asked what their religious preference is. Church-based studies continue to show that evangelism is still toward the top of the list of hardest things for Christian to practice. With all the challenging and painful events, we see going on in our nation, and, world, one might ask: Are Christians still making an impact in this world?

Well, this past weekend, large amounts of Americans viewed the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. Kirk made a Christian impact in the world that was wide spread and unique. I believe his memorial service will make an impact on our country yet to be seen. It may have sparked a revival.

But, that’s Kirk; what about the rest of us? How can the 99.9% of us who are average Christians make an impact in this world, you may ask? To help answer this question, and to honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy, I want to share with you the content of our very first blog back in 2023. It was written by Pastor John Cassian who ministered in Europe around 375ad. Yes, 375ad. Even though that’s very old, what he has to say is remarkably relevant for us today!

“The mind of the upright man aught not to be like wax, or any other soft material, which always yields to the shape of what presses on it, and is stamped with its form and impress and keeps it until it takes another shape by having another seal stamped upon it; and so it turns out that it never retains its own form, but is turned and twisted about to correspond to whatever is pressed upon it.

But the righteous man should instead be like a stamp of hard steel, that the mind may always keep its proper form and shape, and may stamp and imprint the marks of its own condition on everything that happens to it, while nothing that happens to it can leave any mark on the stamp.”

I hope this is an encouragement to you. Pastor Cassian believes we all can be steel, and not wax, as Christians in what whatever part of the world we influence. I do too.