My new hero . .

I had heard of her before but just in passing. Today I have been reading an online biography of Henrietta Mears (this link is a short overview of her life's work). Who? Just the lady that Billy Graham says next to his mom and grandmother had the most impact on his spiritual growth - that's who! Not to mention the founders of Campus Crusade for Christ and others. Her primary ministry was Sunday School (she started Gospel Light Press in 1933) and she had a heart for challenging college kids (it sounds like) to live for Christ.

One of the things her biographer is talking about is that she would teach about positive and negative Christianity. In negative Christianity you are separating yourself from the world. In positive Christianity you separate yourself onto God. For me it goes back (in some ways) to the difference between being naive and being pure. We want our children and ourselves to be pure- to be aware of what is out there but choosing what God has for us.

Here is a quote to that effect:

"Many Christians," she says, "put the emphasis on putting up fences to keep people out of the world, instead of putting up bridges to bring people unto God. If you separate Christians from the world but give them no promised land to possess, they will wander around in the wilderness having nothing — nothing from the world and nothing from the Lord."

Amen! I am going to read the rest of the biography now and I'll let you know what other gems she has in there.