Light of Messiah Ministries: Building Gospel Centred Bridges

In Atlanta, we continue building gospel-centred bridges through genuine friendships and thoughtful conversations. In this update, Mariah shares two moments where the Lord opened unexpected doors - one during a simple visit with a friend, and another while planning a Holocaust Remembrance event - reminding us how compassion and truth meet in everyday life.

Right before Christmas I spent the day catching up with my friend Edith. She asked about our recent trip to Israel, so I showed her a photo from the Mount of Olives - one of my favorite places. I explained how peaceful it is and how meaningful it was to Yeshua, who went there to pray and teach.

I also shared that the Mount of Olives appears not only in the New Testament but in the Tanakh. Zechariah 14 speaks of the Messiah returning, His feet touching the Mount of Olives, which will split in two as living waters flow into Jerusalem.

Then Edith asked a question that stunned me:

“Do you actually believe Jesus will return?”

This came from a Jewish woman who is not religious.

I told her I absolutely believe He will return because He is who He says He is - the promised Messiah, God made flesh. I read the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” I explained that the Hebrew word echad expresses a unity of one, and shared how God, Yeshua, and the Ruach HaKodesh exist in divine unity.

Edith listened carefully and asked sincere questions. Please pray the Holy Spirit will continue watering the seeds planted and reveal the truth of Messiah Yeshua to her.

Most recently I joined the planning committee for Atlanta’s Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance) event. Every other member is a child or grandchild of survivors, so I am something of an outsider.

After our first meeting Tom stopped me in the parking lot and asked about my story. I told him I work for an organization that builds bridges between the Church and the Jewish community, but he wanted to know why I care.

I shared how learning about the Holocaust at a young age shaped my heart, and how discovering that Jesus was Jewish - along with the Jewish authorship of Scripture and the early Jewish believers - deepened my faith. God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people throughout history convinced me He is faithful and trustworthy.

Tom was visibly moved. With tears in his eyes he said he was glad he stopped me. He told me it was encouraging to know there are people who are not Jewish yet genuinely care about the Jewish community. Then he said something I will carry for a long time:

“It makes me feel like God hasn’t forgotten us.”