Christian is an eighth grader who goes to Mars Hill Shoreline where his dad is a pastor. He’s been attending for six years and asked Jesus to save him about three years ago. He’s a self-proclaimed nerd and uses his size to his advantage, keeping other nerds from getting bullied.
*Some of the names in this story have been changed.
A natural defender
Even before Christian believed in Jesus he liked to help kids. When he was in 5th grade he started a club that protected kids from bullies. He recruited other students and held training exercises in the schoolyard. They focused on recognizing when someone was getting bullied and self-defense. The group was called the Bloody Knuckles. Christian laughs as he listens to his dad recall the story and playfully pleads with him not to make him say the name of the club.
Two years ago Christian attended a Mars Hill Students summer camp. As he sat with the other students, listening to a sermon, Jesus captured his heart.
“I remember sitting in the auditorium, trying to find an excuse to go to the bathroom. When I finally did, I sat in the bathroom for 10–15 minutes bawling my eyes out. I sat with my counselors for an hour that afternoon talking. I was so happy and amazed that this is what it feels like to be a Christian.”
“I like to put my faith out there for kids to be able to come up to me and ask about Jesus.”
Knowing Jesus has given Christian an even bigger heart for his classmates’ safety. At his school, a small boy with speech problems is continually picked on but Christian helps defend him.
“My blood boils just thinking about other kids picking on him and kids like him,” Christian said.
Christian organized a lunch table with friends they’ve dubbed the loser table. When they see a “weird” kid or someone without a lot of friends looking for somewhere to sit, they invite them to join them. Other kids won’t pick on them if they’re at Christian’s table.
“They’re great kids,” said Christian’s father. “Christian makes a choice to sit there both for relationship and to guard these kids from ridiculous harm from other teenagers. I’m really proud of him for that.”
“All my Christian friends are big and tough,” added Christian. “About two months ago, a ninth grader threw a plate at our table. I stood up, looked him in the eye, and said, ‘You want to do that again?’ He picked up the plate and sat down.”
“God wants everyone to be a Christian. And I get to help out with that.”
The irony in this is that Christian has never been in a fistfight. He just uses his size to intimidate those who pick on others.
“I don’t use that weight to bully people but to make sure others aren’t bullied,” he said. He doesn’t have a reputation for fighting or beating people up; others just don’t mess with him.
Extra motivation
Christian also thinks it’s important to share the gospel with his classmates.
“I’ve had conversations with many of my non-Christian friends and I’ve changed their outlook on Christianity. I like to put my faith out there for kids to be able to come up to me and ask about Jesus.”
One of those friends is a boy named Thomas. Thomas approached Christian last fall to tell him a story about a dream he’d had the previous night. After Thomas fell asleep, a white light came to him and told him he needed to change his ways or he would go to hell. Frightened, he asked Christian what he thought the dream meant.
“I told Thomas, ‘That must have been God. He told you that you would go to hell if you don’t come to him. God is calling you.’” That night Thomas went home and told his parents. They went crazy, according to Christian, and took him to a Hindu priest.
“The priest fed them lies by saying we all go to heaven and we all have the same blood and reincarnate after we die,” said Christian.
“Jesus is the only answer.”
When Thomas went to bed that night he had the same dream, only this time in Hindi, a language he and his parents speak.
“That next day Thomas came to me and told me he had the same dream again but the priest convinced him that all people go to heaven,” Christian continued. “I told him the priest is wrong. Jesus is the only answer.”
It’s been over six months and so far it doesn’t look like Thomas has asked Jesus to save him. But Christian and his family continue to pray for him. And Christian will continue to share the gospel with as many kids as he can.
“It’s important for me because God wants everyone to be a Christian,” said Christian. “And I get to help out with that.”
