It was a wonderful Christmas Eve service. More than 400 people, a choir and band sang the well-known carols of Christmas, with lines like, “Born that man no more may die,” and “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

But I lacked joy; in fact, I was angry!

You have to be kidding, right? What were the writers of these songs thinking?

Those lyrics sound good in this quaint little town in Oregon, and maybe even in most North American communities. But a little anger began to rise up within me. Did the carol writers not know?

Does no one realize the realities of the 21^st century or allow those realities to impact their behavior? In such a state of anger, I trudged home and pulled out my iPhone to see these news headings:

• “Anyone who ‘likes’ terrorist-related content on Internet will be prosecuted” – Minister of Justice
• New issue of jihadist magazine suggests attacks on U.S.
• Pakistan Taliban plans more attacks on schools
• U.S. is off war footing at year’s end but wars go on
• Haiti protesters urge president to quit
• Putin’s House of Cards – how to handle the Russian crisis

Do we need to be reminded that one-third of the world’s population has not heard the Good News of Jesus who was “born that man may no more die”? Do we not care that the 10/40 window contains 2/3 of the world’s population, and 90 percent are unreached with the truth that their hearts can “prepare Him room”? It doesn’t sound like “He rules the world” when 27 million people are enslaved, vulnerable and trafficked.

Before long, I repented of my anger and my dismay that my neighbors don’t really care about a world without Jesus. I turned my thoughts to the promise that Jesus Himself made — that He will build His church in spite of the gates of hell. The promise that someday people “from every nation, tribe, people and language” will stand before His throne (Rev. 7:9) and “all nations will come and worship before Him.” (Rev. 15:4).

Then I thought about Crossworld’s part:

• running a business in an Asian country, seeking to be a blessing to those disenfranchised, hurting and without Jesus
• reasoning with the world’s future leaders in the great universities of Europe
• operating an English training center and seeing tangible results of people turning from death to life
• moving into difficult countries and neighborhoods so that people will see Jesus who otherwise never would
• teaching theology in the poorest of the poor countries like Haiti and Congo

Maybe I simply need to remember my part — that I, too, need to follow Jesus to the fullest and encourage others to do the same. It starts with me helping people everywhere to live and love like Jesus by imparting God’s truth through authentic relationships wherever life happens. Even in a quaint little town in Oregon.

Larry Sharp served 21 years with Crossworld in Brazil as teacher and principal of Amazon Valley Academy and president of Missão Cristã Evangélica do Brasil. He returned to the U.S. in 1993 to become vice president at Crossworld’s home office. After 20 years as an executive, he is now Vice President Emeritus and business consultant for Crossworld.