Send a Note

I’ll never forget receiving a handwritten letter in the mail during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown.

It immediately caught my attention because it wasn’t typical mail...a bill or marketing piece. Someone had actually taken the time to write my name and address, in cursive, on an envelope. It even included their name and a return address. In a world of isolation and impersonal digital communication, that alone felt strikingly personal.

Curious, I went inside, opened the envelope, and began to read.

It started simply: “Dear Carole,” …

What followed was a short, heartfelt message of encouragement, along with an uplifting Bible verse. The writer asked how I was doing during the lockdown, if I was lonely or afraid. I was taken aback. Someone cared enough to write a handwritten letter to check in on me but also encourage me and share scripture — and this person was a complete stranger.

As I read on, they pointed me to other Bible passages, invited me to learn more, and then shared a link where I could do that. I recognized the link immediately. It was to the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society) website.

I stared at the letter for several minutes, rereading it several times. A mix of thoughts started running through my head:

• First: I’ve got to hand it to them. In a time of shutdown and loneliness, they were busy sending handwritten notes to encourage people.

• Next: How many others received a letter like this, and how many responded to it?

• And lastly: Why didn’t I think of doing something like this?

It might surprise you to learn that I decided to keep that letter. I tucked it into my Bible, to continually remind me of what a “cult” was willing to do to reach others when the world felt most disconnected.

And yes, let’s be clear, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult. They deny the Trinity and reject that Jesus is God. They teach that before living on earth, Jesus was the archangel, Michael; that He died not on a cross but on a stake; and that after His death, He was resurrected as a spirit, His body destroyed. They believe Jesus already “returned” invisibly in 1914 and that soon He and the angels will destroy all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It’s a cult.

Receiving letters like that at such a vulnerable moment was a well-played hand by the Deceiver, and I wondered how many people were seduced by the effort.

It’s Our Move

Now, five years later, people are still lonely, in fact, statistics says they are lonelier than ever. Many are still searching for meaning, direction, or hope.

So, what are we, the Church of Jesus Christ, going to do about it?

Maybe it’s time we take a page from their playbook, but for the right reasons. What if we sent handwritten notes of encouragement to others? Strangers even. Ask how they’re doing. Include an uplifting Bible verse. And at the end, invite them to church or simply to connect. It doesn’t have to be long, just a human touchpoint of hope. As my husband always says, “The worst they can say is no.”

Friends, the fields are white for harvest. The world is waiting for someone to reach out with genuine love and truth they can stand on. That love and truth is the message of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we step out of our comfort zones and extend a hand, write a note, and open the door for someone to encounter the saving grace of Jesus today.

God bless you,

Carole