“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
— [1 Peter 2:12]
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
— Mother Teresa
A QUESTION AT THE DOOR
It happened in the simplest of ways.
A few of our friends had flowers delivered to our house for my wife. When the doorbell rang, my wife opened the door to find a delivery guy standing there, bouquet in hand. Before she could say a word, my 3-year-old son darted forward, looked the man square in the eye and said, “Hi! What’s your name?”
The man seemed stunned. Not annoyed, just visibly thrown off. He responded quietly with his name.
My son followed up instantly: “Nice to meet you. How has your day been today?”
The man just stood there, blinking, holding a bouquet and trying to process what had just happened. His face wore the expression of someone who’d just encountered an alien. But it wasn’t confusion.
It was surprise.
Not at what was said, but that it was said.
He had just encountered genuine curiosity. Pure kindness. A spark of humanity in an increasingly numb world.
And it seemed he wasn’t sure how to respond.
A VIRTUE-STARVED WORLD
We live in a vacuum of virtue.
We don’t notice the darkness because we’ve grown so used to it. We don’t realize how starved the world is for something good, because cold apathy has become normative. What once shocked us no longer moves us. Betrayal, cruelty, dishonesty, slander, it’s often the currency of our culture now. Not the exception. The norm.
There’s a quote a dear friend of mine shared years ago from J.S. Park that’s been echoing in my heart ever since:
“I’m not surprised anymore when I hear that someone has lied to my face, or betrayed my trust, or cheated on their spouse and left their kids, or embezzled money from the fund, or slandered me, or punched that guy, or cut her off, or really hated me the whole time, or totally sold me out.
But I’m surprised at forgiveness.
I’m surprised when someone makes it right.
I’m surprised when someone says ‘I’m wrong.’ Or ‘I’m sorry.’ Or ‘Here’s what I owe.’ Or simply cleans up their mess. Or asks me if I’m okay. Or defends me behind my back. Or shakes my hand anyway. Or shows grace.
Surprise me. Please, please, for God’s sake, surprise me.”
That’s what hit me about my son’s interaction. It wasn’t profound. It wasn’t clever. It was just kind. Unfiltered, unpolished, unprovoked kindness. And in today’s world, that kind of thing shocks people.
We are culturally conditioned to expect the worst. Suspicion is the air we breathe. Distance is the default. But virtue?
It startles us. And that should bother us.
JESUS, A WALKING DISTRUPTION
Jesus didn’t just preach a better way…He lived it.
He healed on the wrong days.
He ate with the wrong people.
He forgave the wrong sins.
He honored women, welcomed children, touched lepers, and told religious leaders they were missing the whole point.
He turned over tables in the temple, but knelt to wash the feet of His friends.
He called out injustice, but spoke grace over sinners.
He carried authority, but moved in humility.
Nothing about Jesus was expected.
Nothing about Him fit the categories.
Everything about Him disrupted the status quo.
He didn’t live to impress. He lived to reveal.
He didn’t come to uphold what was. He came to usher in what could be.
And in a world saturated with selfishness, His selflessness was startling.
Jesus didn’t fit the mold. He shattered it.
And the people who encountered Him, whether they loved Him or hated Him, left changed.
CALLED TO BE A SURPRISE
If we’re followers of Jesus, the most surprising person who ever lived, then why do our lives look so… expected?
Why do we blend in so easily?
Peter’s charge in 1 Peter 2:12 is striking:
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God…”
In other words: live in such a surprising way that even those who misunderstand or mock you can’t help but be drawn to the beauty of your life.
That’s not quiet compliance. That’s radiant conviction.
We should startle the world with the way that we live.
When bitterness is the norm…choose radical forgiveness.
When distraction is the culture…show up with presence.
When everything is transactional…give freely without keeping score.
When cynicism reigns…speak hope.
When everyone’s offended…offer understanding.
When the world is self-interested…choose sacrificial love.
Be Holy. Be Distinct. Be set apart.
We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt disrupts blandness. Light disrupts darkness. Neither go unnoticed.
The way of Jesus is disruptive…because love in its truest form always is.
Blessing always disrupts brokenness.
SURPRISE THE WORLD
This isn’t about doing something extravagant. This is about small, Spirit-led acts of countercultural kindness and conviction. This is about walking into rooms and disrupting the narrative, not with noise, but with love.
Surprise someone with joy. Text someone out of the blue and speak life over them. Give thanks out loud. Laugh more than you should.
Surprise someone with an apology. Own your mistake. Be the first to say “I’m sorry.” Do it without excuse or justification.
Surprise someone with time. Put your phone down. Look someone in the eyes. Ask how they’re doing—and mean it.
Surprise someone with generosity. Pick up the tab. Give anonymously. Be absurdly kind with your resources.
Surprise someone with reconnection. Reach out to the person you’ve drifted from. Say the words you’ve been holding back.
None of these require a platform. Just presence. Just courage. Just a willingness to interrupt the ordinary with something beautiful.
A FINAL CHARGE
Don’t let your life blend in. Don’t conform to the suspicion, the cynicism, the apathy of the day. You are a follower of Jesus, the most surprising person who ever lived. Let your life reflect His.
Surprise someone this week.
Not with performance. Not with perfection.
Surprise them with presence. With integrity. With love that doesn’t make sense.
Be the first to forgive.
Be the one who notices.
Be the one who sends the text, makes the call, prays the prayer, confesses the sin, initiates the reconciliation.
Be the one who tells the truth when it would be easier to keep quiet.
Let your life be an interruption to the status quo.
Let your faith make people raise a brow in the best way.
Let your goodness break the pattern.
In a world expecting more noise, more outrage, more self-interest
Let them meet someone who carries Jesus.
And let them leave thinking:
“Wow…I wasn’t expecting that.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––
Join Us
Thanks for reading! You can get more biblical wisdom and encouragement sent directly to your inbox every Monday morning with the email signup here.