Move through the crowd slowly

Adrian Rogers was a man of God, a wise preacher and teacher of the Bible, a great leader of many people. I could list the many accomplishments of Dr. Rogers, organizations and churches that he led, ministries that he started, but one thing sticks with me about his life.

I heard a testimony about Dr. Rogers from one of his mentee’s, an accomplished preacher and leader of the Bible himself. He said the one thing that struck him about Dr. Rogers was the way he “moved through the crowd slowly.” When in a conversation or when people walked up to him, he stopped, listened, and entered their world. He was completely present, with compassion for people. What a great way to do life, “moving through the crowd slowly.”

I tend to do life the opposite way. I try to be, what I would describe as, efficient. I do not “move through a crowd slowly.” By nature, I try to get from point A to point B as fast as I can. I have to fight impatience and perceived inefficiency.

Jesus always “moved through the crowd slowly.” He had deep compassion for people.

“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.” Mark 8:2

Jesus had over four thousand people following him when he made this statement. They had followed him for three days with no food, he had compassion, and he provided.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:24-34

In this scene, there was literally a crowd of people around Jesus. A desperate man had come to get Jesus to heal his daughter who was at the point of death. However, in the midst of the crowd, the urgency of the moment, we see a picture of everything stopping. Jesus heals a woman that has been bleeding for 12 years.

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35-36

This passage is a general statement about how Jesus moved through his ministry. His eyes saw the compassion of the people. He dove in, ministered, helped, loved. Jesus “moved through the crowd slowly.”

I suppose I could write for hours citing examples from the Bible of Jesus “moving through the crowd slowly.” There was the woman at the well, Zacchaeus and the sycamore tree, the last supper with his disciples, even death on the cross when he spoke to the thief hanging next to him.

“Moving through the crowd slowly” shows compassion. “Moving through the crowd slowly” allows God to work through you. “Moving through the crowd slowly” provides margin in your life to love others, to care for others, to minister. “Moving through the crowd slowly” impacts others.

Practically, “moving through the crowd slowly” means grabbing that coffee with a friend. Maybe making that phone call to someone in need. Stopping to say hello to your neighbor versus the hurried wave when you see each other getting the mail. Taking your spouse to dinner. “Moving through the crowd slowly” seemly means focusing on others versus yourself.

“Moving through the crowd slowly” is a great swing thought to have today as you enter that Zoom meeting, go to the store, take the kids to school, and when you enter school with your friends.

Let my legacy be one of “moving through the crowd slowly.” May I decrease, and God increase.

Impact others. Live generously.

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