Have you ever witnessed a sense of goodness in a person and seen them as a temporary messiah?

Answer 1

"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.
Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"
- Matthew 25:35-40


God's grace is at work in everyone. Some can let it shine a little more. Others (like myself) ... well, sometimes its hard to see.

Nicole Nordeman expresses it eloquently in a song titled "Wide Eyed":

When I met him on a sidewalk
He was preaching to a mailbox
Down on 16th Avenue
And he told me he was Jesus
Sent from Jupiter to free us
With a bottle of tequila and one shoe
He raged about repentance
He finished every sentence
With a promise that the end was close at hand
I didn't even try to understand

He left me wide eyed in disbelief and disillusion
I was tongue tied, drawn by my conclusions
So I turned and walked away
And laughed at what he had to say
Then casually dismissed him as a fraud
I forgot he was created in the image of my God

When I met her in a bookstore
She was browsing on the first floor
Through a yoga magazine
And she told me in her past life
She was some plantation slave's wife
She had to figure out what that might mean
She believes the healing powers of her crystals
Can bring balance and new purpose to her life
Sounds nice

She left me wide eyed in disbelief and disillusion
I was tongue tied, drawn by my conclusions
So I turned and walked away
And laughed at what she had to say
Then casually dismissed her as a fraud
I forgot she was created in the image of my God

Not so long ago, a man from Galilee
Fed thousands with His bread and His theology
And the truth He spoke
Quickly became the joke
Of educated, self-inflated Pharisees like me

And they were wide eyed in disbelief and disillusion
They were tongue tied, drawn by their conclusions
Would I have turned and walked away
And laughed at what He had to say
And casually dismissed Him as a fraud
Unaware that I was staring at the image of my God

Answer 2

As a person coming from a very religious, closed society and now not participating in that, I'd say it's normal to have a hard time breaking away from something you were raised in and wholly believed in at one time. To answer your first question, Yes, it is possible to heal, but don't expect that your JW up-bringing won't influence you and pop up in other parts of your life. Know now that your life is different. You are a good person. You're not an outsider unless you make yourself one. That's something I've had to come to realize too. Getting over depression means you're strong -- your mind is powerful. Put that power to good use in other ways. Those ways could be trying to save people by infiltrating the congregation, but to me that seems futile. Once found out, they'll use you as an example of the way the devil creeps up on you when you least expect it (or something of the like), and your efforts will be in vain. Instead, do some thing more indirect that's helpful like coaching a child's sports team or some other activity where you'll have contact with young people who are having the same JW experience as you had. But be sure not to force your views on someone who's not ready for them. People are entitled to believe what they want. Being a too strong opposition will only scare them away.

Answer 3

im not sure what you mean by a "temporary messiah" but i have witnessed a sense of goodness in a person and percieve as a good person.......but i believe that there was only one messiah so i dont really think like that

Answer 4

I think when you witness that kind of good in a person, they were touched by an angel There is and will always only be one messiah but there are a lot of angels.

Answer 5

When I was very young, I sometimes had great regard, respect and awe of someone I thought was really special, but can't remember ever thinking anyone was a messiah.

Answer 6

Yes, I have experienced this and what I have come to find was that my perception of them as a messiah was just that - a perception. As I got to know them more, it was clear to me that they were human just like the rest of us. I found that when they seemed that way they were often being fake/ingenuine to gain attention and aproval and their more prominent personality was much more sinister.

Answer 7

Yes. When president Bush visitted our village in Alabama, I looked into his eyes and saw the heart of Jesus. Indeed, he may be the next Messiah with him fighting the evil in the Middle East.

Answer 8

I think we all have had those moments. When someone understands and empathizes with you it is like a miracle. Especially if they have the magic words we need to hear.

Answer 9

Yes, unfortunately I have to set people straight all the time.

Answer 10

Plenty and one in number.