Back 20 years ago, our church Youth Pastor asked me to create something memorable spiritual-wise that would bring Scripture in a practical way. I asked how much freedom that I had, and he trusted me with the task.

Great Commandments: Love God, love your neighbor.

Do not bear false witness. Don’t worry about the splinter in someone else’s eye until you remove the beam from your own. Judge not that you shall be judged. Don’t lie to each other.

So, I bought shaving cream. Not one can, but 60 cans! Why? There were two steps…..

Step #1 – I had a youth volunteer put on ugly orange socks. But I also put a large blob of shaving cream on one shoulder, and had him just sit in the front row. The rest of the youth couldn’t take their eyes off this guy with the huge blob of shaving cream on his shoulder. It was a point of focus. No one saw anything else…..

Lesson #1 – When something is obvious in someone’s life that’s unmistakable, we too often just focus on that particular thing, no matter what else is going on. With the youth, NO ONE saw the socks, only the shave cream. Too often as adults, we know someone who embezzled, who lied, who bore false witness or made something up, or got caught in a particular sin. It is to our spiritual detriment to let that be what we ONLY see when that person is around. There is ALWAYS more to a person than any particular mistake.

Step #2 – I totally emptied ALL 60 cans of shaving cream into a giant green outdoor leaf collection bag backstage! I also had a youth volunteer (who knew this art and volunteered anyway) stand on the platform. He practiced taking a deep breath when he saw my friend and I come out and dumped the entire contents over the young volunteer! I told him when he saw daylight (from the bag being lifted off him and the shaving cream) to blow out his exhale into the first couple of rows of other youth. This shot a blast of shaving cream into the screaming kids. Awesome….. The youth department could not even “see” the kid!

Lesson #2 – Sometimes people can be so cruel as to hurl lies, made-up stories, betray confidences, and destroy another person’s character to the point where that person is no longer recognizable. Many do this on purpose. This tragic misalignment with Biblical principles is an afront to what Jesus teaches us. Each poisonous arrow of disrepute is another glob of shaving cream on someone’s character. Each chunk of gossip or betrayal is adding to the pile of discreditation. It literally can end people’s lives.

Lord, let us embrace YOUR love for people by NOT focusing on what’s wrong with people, but with what You created IN them in the first places. Let us fully grasp the power of forgiveness! Let us feel the empathy from Your heart, Lord. Let us SEE the person YOU made. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!