It's not every day you see a random person carrying a hefty wooden cross on his shoulder as he's walking along the road. But this is exactly what a British man, Lindsay Hamon, has been doing for the last 36 years.
In a recent video, street evangelist Joe Kirby chatted with Hamon when he bumped into him on vacation. And the one thing that jumps out on watching the short clip is Hamon's sheer joy as he goes about his his daily mission.
The cross-bearer explained how he's picked up the 55-pound cross and carried it to countries far and wide, from Berlin to Moscow, and to numerous countries in Asia.
His message to those he meets is simple:
Jesus is the Savior of the world."
He explains that he wants to encourage those in his path the need for "getting our lives right with Jesus,"and "allowing Jesus to come into our hearts."
Hamon has dedicated his life to God, who, he points out, "so loved the world." This same love Hamon genuinely seems to embrace for his work, even when he's not properly understood in some foreign countries. However, he sees the wonder in "seeing Jesus working when you can't even speak the language."
He also shares that the significance in carrying the large, cumbersome cross:
I often feel when you carry the cross it's like a red carpet being rolled out before you. It's like God has got people for you to meet."
What is particularly inspiring about the Englishman's attitude is that even when he faces rejection, he keeps on going.
Follow in Christ's footsteps
Hamon is quite literally taking up the words of Luke 9:23, which state:
"Then he said to all, 'If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"
At the end of the video Kirby asks us: "What's your cross that you need to carry for the Lord Jesus Christ?" Of course, this doesn't have to be a literal cross like Hamon's, but something that challenges us to follow in the footsteps of Christ, with compassion and forgiveness, even if it means sacrifice and denying our own desires.
If you'd like to learn more about Hamon's journey, you can look at a further video below:
