Sought by God
by Bethany Keener

Annie Spiro teaches vacation Bible school for Boulder Mennonite Church and Light of Life Mennonite Church (Farmington, N.M.). Photo: Provided

Annie Spiro’s parents taught her to be a spiritual seeker. They never thought her seeking would lead her to Christianity.

She grew up in Chicago, the daughter of the owners of a New Age magazine. "Life and faith were a buffet," she said. "You picked what you wanted and left the rest."

Then she went to college.

The bearded man in the sky
Spiro joined a human-rights group at Illinois State University during the early stages of the war in Iraq. One night they met in solidarity on behalf of the Iraqis — camping out under makeshift tents, fasting and holding a candlelight vigil.

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Then they bowed their heads. "I realized they were praying to the 'Bearded Guy' in the sky," Spiro said. She was surprised to find Christians taking action on social-justice issues.

But she liked how they lived. They cared for the earth and even prayed about how to love people they didn’t get along with. They weren't like the guy who came onto campus with a bullhorn, preaching fire and brimstone.

As touched as Spiro was by her new friends, she struggled to reconcile the church’s violent history and subjugation of women with her new desire to follow Jesus. Alone in her room one night, she said, "God, if you’re there, you know I have these issues to get over before I can believe in you," and opened the Bible.

The pages fell open to Luke 24 — the account of Jesus’ resurrection and how women were the first to discover the empty tomb.

"It blew me away," Spiro said.

"The concept of God reaching back, being sought out by God specifically; the feeling of communication — when I would pray for help it would come — I never felt that anywhere else. My whole life I was taught to seek, and this is the only time I was sought in return."

Annie Spiro was baptized in April 2004.

Telling Mom and Dad
Like most parents whose children choose a faith path different from their own, Spiro’s parents were hurt. “Sometimes they’re upset about it, and there are things we can’t talk about,” she said. Their questions have made her think seriously about what she believes.

Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words
In September 2005, Spiro began a yearlong term in Mennonite Voluntary Service, serving at the Boulder (Colo.) Shelter for the Homeless. Like the friends she made in college, Spiro tries to share her faith through her daily interactions.

But sometimes God nudges her to use words.

One evening Spiro waited with a client for his ride to arrive. He offered an honest, albeit drunken, confession about his struggle to control his use of alcohol and the chaos it was causing in his family. "I’m all alone," he concluded.

"You're not alone," Spiro said, replying with simple words the fact that God cared for him.

Months later, the client returned to the shelter. He had cut back on drinking and had applied for transitional housing. While Spiro says she can’t attribute her client's changed behavior to her words, the encounter did make her faith stronger. "God is really in charge. God takes things that seem horrible to us and turns them into good."

Highlights

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Return to Beyond Ourselves—Fall 2006