1L In Northern Ireland with the_kenny_hall
Kenny Hall is The Youth Pastor at Hope Community Church, where he leads Radi8 Student Ministries. Each week at 5pm, we have One Love Skate in the parking lot at Hope Community Church, and we have been working with Kenny and the team at HCC to reach the 310 households within a quarter mile radius of the church building.
On May 16, you may have seen the above post about someone sharing a #1L #ConvoCard in London. Well, now we are privileged to have a guest blog from Kenny Hall with stories from his travels. Kenny took the One Love of Jesus with him in London and Northern Ireland, and we hope this will motivate many to have conversations about the 1L of Jesus with those around them wherever they are. Enjoy:
Last week I took a vacation to Belfast, Northern Ireland. I was born in Northern Ireland and had not been back in 20 years to the month. During my flight from Charlotte to London, I sat next to an older lady named Grace. Ms. Grace had an interesting perspective on science and Native American religion. She believed in one God but that all religions were basically the same. I asked her about Jesus but she just acknowledged Him merely as a good man that she would see in heaven one day. She talked about how Jesus shared the same message as Buddha and Muhammad that highlighted the goodness of man and good will. However, I tried to explain that Jesus did not, in any way, highlight the goodness of man, but our need for a Savior.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
I was able to give her a One Love connection card with 1 John 4:9 and continue to pray that she would look at the Truth on that card and come to know her Savior that loves her beyond measure.
During my first night in Belfast, I was able to have many conversations with various people while I was wearing my One Love hat. Whenever I was asked what I did, I was able to tell them that I was a pastor from America and was able to point to the One Love hat and talk about the One Love of Jesus. The message was so crucial to the religious-torn country of Northern Ireland. The battle between Catholics and Protestants has been going on for generations. Their religious views have everything to do with politics, borders, and the families that they grew up in.
I was able to have a good conversation with a Catholic man named John. I shared my perspective from being born in Ulster (Northern Ireland), raised American, but was a Irish Republican citizen. I told him how I saw the country torn in two by religion, traditions, customs, politics, and bad blood. Classic Jew vs. Samaritan situation. But I was able to share that if both sides would realize the One Love of Jesus and shifted their focus off of their religion and politics and put their focus solely on the person of Jesus, everything would change and we would see peace and revival in Northern Ireland. I wasn't sure how John was going to respond, but he gave me a big hug and thanked me for saying that. There is no limit in the power of the One Love of Jesus!