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“In my name They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
At the recent Castro Street Fair in San Francisco, the Holy Spirit inspired me to simply call out the Most Holy Name of Jesus to my gay brothers and sisters. At the time, this was revelation: since I am always at a loss as what to say; or how to start. Therefore, what I simply did was set up my station at an empty space on the street and called out: “Jesus loves gay men and women.” The responses were immediate and powerful: some smiled and approached to talk; others laughed and went on their way, some – literally cowered down, covered their ears, and scurried away as if an air-raid siren had just sounded. The name of Jesus is that effective: it immediately separates the lost and confused from the demonic and possessed. After 2000 years, the name of Jesus is still thoroughly divisive: it can wash peace over the face of some; or turn others into a countenance of torture. Most beautifully, for the simply confounded, hearing that Jesus Loves them – is a shock; as few, if any, Christians ever took the time to tell them. It’s a simple gift that costs nothing to give away, but can change the life of the one who receives it.