1 Peter 2:9 – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. (KJV)

As a young man, I worked for some time in a men's correctional institute. Actually, the institute could have been better described simply as a prison, as any serious attempts at institutional rehabilitation were at the time still in their infancy. The institution was in all respects a grim and forbidding place, both in physical appearance and in atmosphere.

Notwithstanding the tense atmosphere that dominated the institution, there was a certain amount of camaraderie between staff and inmates. I once struck up a friendship of sorts with an inmate who was probably about thirty years of age and had been in and out of various prisons since his mid-teens. We talked casually about various things and one day, quite out of the blue, the inmate suddenly asked me, "Are you going to be a priest or something?"

I must admit with shame and regret that I had not conscientiously been witnessing to the inmate in any way, or had even suggested to him that I was a Christian. But apparently he had perceived something in my deportment and manner of speech that told him that I possessed something special.

Obviously I was pleased and thankful that I had been able to make an impression on the inmate, inadvertent and subconscious on my part as it admittedly was. However, driven home to me was the thought of the awesome responsibility Christians have to quietly project their faith every moment of their lives. Our lives are the only sermons that many people hear.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to let the beauty of Jesus be seen in our everyday lives. Amen.

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