A close friend of mine was confronted by a sign-carrying street preacher at Michigan State University. My friend, who was a student at the school and had been a Christian for only 2 years, had mixed feelings about the situation. He had encountered street preachers before. They had shouted the message of salvation in a style and spirit that seemed to do more harm than good to the testimony of Christ.

But this man was different from the rest. My friend gradually became confident that this brother in Christ was speaking the truth in love. Soon he found himself offering to hold the sign for the tiring evangelist. This meant that my friend became the target of insults from fellow students. Another student asked him why he was carrying the sign. She expressed the same misgivings he had experienced earlier. He explained that the message and the spirit of this brother seemed right. A short time later, the woman asked my friend if she could hold the sign.

The street preacher's conviction was contagious. Does our willingness to identify with the Savior encourage others to do the same? Our commitment needs to be strong enough to be contagious.  — Mart De Haan