04/03/2026
Gospel in the Gutters - The Gospel in the Gutters: A Witness Story
We approached the door with a single, joyous mission: to proclaim that Christ is risen.
While my partner, David, and the young men from MTUS began to speak, my eyes wandered upward. I noticed the roofline—the gutters were choked with debris, overflowing and heavy. It was a small detail, a chore left undone, but it stayed in the back of my mind as the "man of the house" headed back to his work, leaving us with the woman of the house.
The Well in the Doorway
In a beautiful echo of the Samaritan woman at the well, she looked at us and asked if we would like a glass of water. We accepted. As we stood there on the porch, a divine exchange took place:
She offered us physical water to quench a temporary thirst.
David offered her Eternal Water, the kind that never runs dry.
When asked if she was saved, she replied simply, "I am Catholic." With gentleness and clarity, the students began to share truths of the Gospel she had never heard before. They spoke of a living hope and the finished work of Christ. She listened intently, her heart appearing as open as her home.
After thanking her for her hospitality, we moved on. But as we settled back at base camp, David couldn't shake the image of those clogged gutters.
Faith Without Works is Dead
The Holy Spirit has a way of nudging us toward the "little things." David felt a persistent conviction: the Gospel is a message of restoration, both spiritual and physical. He grabbed a ladder and headed back. When he knocked and offered to clear the gutters for free, the husband agreed, though he muttered under his breath, "I was going to get to that... but okay, do it if you want."
As David worked, the atmosphere shifted. The woman watched from the doorway, her expression softening into one of realization. She wasn't just hearing a sermon anymore; she was seeing Christian love in motion.
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." — John 13:35
The Radical Shift
By the time the job was done, the barriers had come down. David told her about the church in Hickory, and this time, her "yes" felt different. She wasn't just being polite; she was genuinely willing to visit a community that "really does as they say."
It makes you wonder: What if Jesus really wants us to radically show hospitality to the lost in our area? Sometimes, the bridge to a person’s heart isn't built with a perfect theological argument, but with a ladder, a pair of work gloves, and a willingness to notice the "gutters" in their lives. Witnessing isn't just about the words we speak; it's about the love we prove.
