Video Courtesy of KSL.com
In case the video doesn't work for you, here's the printed story that went with it:
Salt Lake man spends time pedaling and preaching in city streets
August 23rd, 2010 @ 10:12pm
By Jennifer Stagg
SALT LAKE CITY -- Have you ever taken a ride in a pedicab? We don't have too many in Utah, but there's one you may have seen in downtown Salt Lake City recently. Its owner says his pedaling comes second to his preaching.
On any given Saturday, you can find Christian Kocherscheidt pedaling free rides in his pedicab. With a hand to help you inside and a foot push to get going, he'll take you right to your car. The conversation comes standard. "It's always different people," Kocherscheidt says. "It's always different conversations."
Each ride, like each passenger, is unique; but there's one topic that always seems to come up. Kocherscheidt's "K2" jersey gives his customers a little clue.
"I'm a pastor here in town: K2 the Church," Kocherscheidt says. "I always knew there was a God, always trusted that He was good and that he had a purpose for me."
Kocherscheidt is a Christian, and the bicycle taxi is just a side gig. Preaching, not pedaling, is his full-time job.
"[There's] a lot of surprise," Kocherscheidt says. "The first word is: ‘Really?'"
He speaks to a packed congregation at K2 the Church on Sundays then pulls people behind his bike a few times a month.
Kocherscheidt says he doesn't bike taxi to build his flock, but if the ride turns to religion, he always keeps a business card or two in his jersey.
"There was one week where eight people actually showed up here and actually made the effort to let me know that they were here," Kocherscheidt says. "I had given a ride to [them] a couple of nights earlier."
While the venue might be different, Kocherscheidt's motivation doesn't change. People, he says, keep him preaching and pedaling in Salt Lake City.
"I love having the position to speak into people's lives, to hopefully be of help and of encouragement and just walk through life with people," he says.
Kocherscheidt says cycling has also helped him stay in shape. He's lost nearly 50 pounds since he started riding this year.
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I think the thing that touched me the most about Christian's story is that he offers his pedi-cab rides for free. He is not looking to make money off of people, but in his heart really feels that he is looking after "the welfare of Zion". While Christian (the K2 Pastor) is not a member of my faith, I believe that he is a good man with a good heart (as much as I can tell from a 2 minute news clip, anyway).
...wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.
I think that some people in the world view members of the LDS Church as haughty or "holier-than-thou", and maybe rightly so. We claim to belong to the only true church on the face of the earth. While I believe wholeheartedly that I belong to the true church, that doesn't mean that I think that every other church is wrong or bad. To me, they are just incomplete - without the fullness of the gospel. There are good people, like Christian, everywhere on this earth. People who talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ and prophesy of Christ. That they don't have the fullness of His gospel (yet) doesn't make them any less loved by our Father in Heaven.
Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.
Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.
Having the fullness of the gospel should not be a point of pride, like it is with too many members of the Church, but an indication of a greater responsibility. Responsibility cannot be fully and righteously exercised without humility and charity. No one had more truth at his disposal than Christ, yet he taught with humility and charity, as Christian the Pastor/Pedi-Cab driver is. How much of a greater responsibility do church members have!! Christian, though he does not have a fullness of the gospel (which includes the priesthood, the ordinances, the temple), is doing more with what he has by his service than many members who have the fullness but choose to stay in their little cliques or just associate with church members.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
What an example I have found in Christian, the Christian, today. He is truly exemplifying Christ-like behavior. And just like his pedi-cab rides, I am reminded that the salvation of Christ is free for everyone.
...he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
Thanks, Heather. I was wondering how I was going to frame my talk at Sacrament Meeting this Sunday. Now I know.
ReplyDeleteLove you and yours, Dad.