The Ripple Effect

A few weeks ago, God showed me a small example of the ripple effect. It began with a whim to see a lottery home on the other side of our city. That was His idea but I didn’t realize it at the time. It was Sunday and a long weekend so our usual brunch at church was not happening. We were a long way from home, so after viewing the house we went to a nearby restaurant. It happened to have those newsletters that sometimes show up in eating places. This copy had an article about a city who build an inner city with structures for artists to paint murals. When we got home, I looked it up and was utterly amazed at the paintings, most of them done with the artist standing on a forklift or other machinery. They were done freehand and astonishingly beautiful. I know a young artist that lives on the other side of our country thinking he would already be aware of this place but just in case, and because he does outdoor art sometimes, I sent him a message with the link. He messaged back, very excited because he was thinking of taking a course involving mural work and when he saw the work done in that far away place, he was convinced to take the course. How delightful — because of a whisper that seemed like a whim.

Today’s reading offers a much more startling example of God at work making ripples. It tells how one book changed many lives:

A book by Richard Sibbes, one of the choicest of the Puritan writers, was read by Richard Baxter, who was greatly blessed by it. Baxter then wrote A Call to the Unconverted which deeply influenced Philip Doddridge, who in turn wrote The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. This brought the young William Wilberforce, subsequent English statesman and foe of slavery, to serious thoughts of eternity. Wilberforce wrote his Practical Book of Christianity which fired the soul of Leigh Richmond. Richmond, in turn, wrote The Dairyman’s Daughter, a book that brought thousands to the Lord, helping Thomas Chalmers the great preacher, among others.

Chalmers went on to write more than 30 books that also rippled out to affect others. This demonstrates the power of God to use the work of obedient people. It is about books, but could be about simple acts of obedience. Another author says, “You reflect the Spirit of God simply by the love you show to others. Your kindness will yield kindness. And, like a pebble tossed into a pond yields ripples, kindness flows outward from just one simple act, inspiring others.”

Another simple illustration is a yawn. Yawn and the whole room yawns. Smile at a stranger and who knows, that stranger is inspired to smile at another.

The book of Acts illustrates how God spread the Gospel like a pebble in a pond. Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15) then told them how it would happen:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Usually the effects of doing what God says or just being like Jesus in life’s situations is not obvious. Also, faith is the foundation for obedience, not any notions about what will happen because of it. One person insists that all we need to do is share what Jesus has done for us and others will want to know him too. That is not always the way it works. Ask those in the middle east. Many Christians have been persecuted and even slaughtered for telling others about Jesus. This does not stop God from using their obedience, but many of them will never see the results.

For me, this points to the worst event in history — putting to death the innocent man who is God. And God turned that into the best event, the most superior thing that ever happened. Yesterday we heard of the torture He experienced. Many in our church wore black and felt the pain of it — in a minuscule way compared to what Jesus endured. Tomorrow we look back at the reason we call Friday ‘Good’ and celebrate the reality that Jesus is alive and that the ripple effect that started with a few at the empty tomb has reached our hearts and minds. Millions live because He lives, and the ripple continues to use the obedience of His people to bring Good News to one person then another, then another.

PRAY: Lord, for a few days I’ve felt the deep sorrow that You, my best Friend, suffered as You did to save me from sin and the wrath of God. As tomorrow rolls closer, that sorrow turns to incredulous joy for the love that put You on that cross and the ripples that You used to bring me to join You there happened because of Your obedience — and because You rose and are alive!