A Cultural Moment Opportunity: People are longing for kind and accepting people
I used to sit on campus in an area where thousands of students walked. I had a small sign stuck in the ground near me that said, “FREE PRAYER.” And I waited for any students, faculty or staff to stop to engage me. I might nod or smile, but I said nothing to anyone who didn’t first speak to me. There was a reason for that. It was “free” because I asked for nothing from them nor expected anything. There was no agenda other than loving them by being available to them to listen to their concerns and to pray for them.
For my many decades as a campus pastor, and even when I attended college, students at least several times a year had to endure “the preachers.” Mostly men came onto campus and stood yelling and condemning students as sinners doomed to hell without repentance, calling young college women whores, and getting into arguments with those standing around as they spoke. I encouraged my students when it was known that the preachers were on campus to take advantage of what they were saying and how they were saying it by starting conversations with students, asking their views of them and what they were saying. It was one of the few times that many students were open to talking about anything related to God.
Seeing these folks routinely appear on campus often frustrated me because they just stirred everyone up and often made our efforts all that much more difficult. They would leave and head to another campus, while we tried to mitigate the damage their presentations did.
But then the Lord literally called me to take my little sign and sit in the middle of campus. One of the first times I did this, simultaneously a group of preachers set up less than 30 yards from me. The contrast was immediate. They yelled at any passing by; I said nothing unless spoken to. Over the several years I did this, occasionally the preachers would be there as well. Many students commented to me they were glad I was there and because the way I conducted myself. I prayed frequently with students and faculty for whatever they brought to my attention. The people who stopped could see and sense the difference in approach. I believe it was refreshing to them to be heard rather than yelled at or condemned as in the wrong.
So much of our current cultural milieu is caustic judgmentalism and, sadly, many Christians are guilty of this, especially on social media. It is so much easier to condemn or criticize harshly without ever truly listening. Do we really know the reasons behind what people believe and do? Have we ever taken the time to carefully consider why they believe what they believe? Or do we tell them they’re wrong right away?
Many have written in the past week about Dolly Parton. I believe the reason so many are lauding her life is because of her basic decency toward people, regardless of who they were, what they had done or continued to do. They felt accepted as they were.
Many of us believers often want people to change before we really accept them. I have struggled with that. I am sure you have as well. Yet, if we don’t accept them enough to listen to their stories and give them freedom to ask questions without correcting them, how will their hearts ever open up to Jesus?
My wife and I are embarking on a new path by being involved with Alpha, a worldwide ministry started decades ago in an Anglican Church in England. It seems to us that Alpha is having a moment because each meeting focuses on who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Alpha is designed for non-believers and skeptics.
There is a video presentation and then people meet in groups to discuss whatever questions or disagreements they have with what was presented. And here is the key: Leaders are specifically instructed not to correct people or allow others to do so during the discussion.
In a culture where everyone has an opinion and feels empowered to share it, there is a temptation to correct those with whom we disagree. That immediately shuts down discussion or can quickly turn into an argument. This is not the dynamic people are longing for outside the church (and probably inside as well). They have seen enough of that already. But to be accepted and allowed to ask uncomfortable questions or voice unpopular opinions without correction can get their attention and open up their hearts for the Lord to work and to be persuaded to follow Him.
True or not, the reality is that many people with or without Christian backgrounds believe and expect Christians to be judgmental. That is their default mode, and we must accept that and act accordingly if we are to have any chance of reaching them.
This is why I believe the Alpha model is so cogent for this moment. It does not shy away from proclaiming the teachings of Jesus and the rest of the Scriptures. But it creates an environment that allows questioning without the questioner being corrected. And it allows for the work of the Holy Spirit to do the transformational work desired. Thus, people walk away feeling accepted and are more likely to return for future meetings.
Last week, I wrote about the way the enemy tempts us to facilitate his work, and that one way he does this is to get us to forget that those who do not believe in Jesus or hold what we consider Christian values are still loved by God because He created them. If they are loved by Him, then we are compelled to love them, too.
The commandment of Jesus to love our enemies as well as those who are believers is clear. It is also clear to me that we live in a cultural moment where people are longing to be loved and accepted rather than judged. That, my friends, is our opening to treat people as Jesus treated them and trust the Holy Spirit to do the transformational work in their lives.
Until next time . . .
© Jim Musser 2026
