Where my peeps at?

For the last week or so, I have been following Peep stories. Yes, Peeps. I have taken great joy in hearing about the "peeping"... and couldn't resist the opportunity to share with each of you!

For those of you who don't know, there is more to these sugary marshmallow holiday treats than the joy of finding them in Easter baskets or competing to see which one will expand fastest in the microwave. Peeps are changing lives... at least in the town of Hickory, NC.

A church that I had the pleasure of attending and interning at (Christ Church, Hickory) is revolutionizing the concept of hospitality in their community with Peeps! The attendees of Christ Church have been commissioned to practice random acts of kindness in the name of Peeps (and Jesus!). Church members are reaching out to people in grocery stores, nail salons, buying the meal of the person behind them in drive-thrus, and canvassing their neighborhoods with Peep boxes in hand. At last count, 8,500 boxes of Peeps had been dispersed into the community. 8,500 acts of kindness. 8,500 physical representations of God's love.

Each box of Peeps was attached with an invitation to attend Easter services at one of Christ Church's campuses. I imagine the invitations consisted of witty words like "Our peeps invite your peeps to Easter service," "Bring your peeps to Christ Church," or "Tell your peeps it's happenin' at Christ Church." While I applaud the marketing technique, I am much more impressed with the motivation behind peeping.

Christ Church is not simply trying to get folks in their doors. Rather, they genuinely care about the "peeps" in their community, and seek to be a beacon for those around them. This is not a ploy for membership, money, or attention. This is a sincere effort by the church to say, "We care about you. We do more than just spit out religious epithets... we practice hospitality. Radical, Christ-centered hospitality."

Over the last week, my facebook feed has been full of powerful stories of how peeps are changing the lives of church members and strangers alike. I have been moved by the power of kindness and hospitality and I have been reminded that this is what the very nature of my faith is about.

I imagine that if Jesus were here today, he'd hand me a box of sugar-coated marshmallows and ask, "Do you love me?
Then feed my peeps.
Clothe my peeps.
Visit my peeps.
LOVE my peeps."

I can almost hear Jesus saying to us, the Church.... "Where my peeps at?" How will we respond?