Making Spirits Bright
Story by Ashley Elvington • Reflection Images by Tracy Rowell
matthew
davis
“EVERY MAN SHALL GIVE AS HE IS ABLE,
ACCORDING TO THE BLESSING OF THE LORD
YOUR GOD THAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU.”
~DEUTERONOMY 16:17
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phesians 4:32 calls for Christians to “be kind to one another, tender-hearted,
ing a simple note of encouragement at a pivotal time.” A month later, Matt’s sister gave him a
forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” For many, Mat-
Bible for Christmas. “For the first time in my life, I did something radical. I read it, and I haven’t
thew Davis is the embodiment of Christ’s love and compassion. As co-founder
stopped. I don’t just read my Bible because I think that’s what a Christian is supposed to do, I
of Whosoever Community Church in Florence, Matt has shared God’s love with
crave being in the Word and learning more. It’s as much a part of me as breathing. I didn’t have
many whose footsteps have passed through the threshold. He attributes this compassion to
one of the classic salvation stories of walking down the aisle of the church or repeating some
his family, particularly his grandmother. “Anyone who knows me knows that my grandmother
pretty words and raising my hand to be counted. My conversion was messy, just like my life.
was ‘my person.’ Her love for Christ was evident in every aspect of her life. She never met any-
It was me and my Savior and a whole lot of ‘ugly cries’ while I was working as a night-stocker
one she didn’t love, and everyone who met her felt the love she had for them. I’m blessed that
during the Christmas season. It’s not a pretty story, but it’s mine.”
my family was filled with laughter. And, we were raised with the understanding that no matter
In 2012, Matt and several others invited the homeless community to their church for an Easter
what you had or looked like, all people were created in the image of God. We were taught that
celebration, with lunch after the service. After passing out flyers for months, the group boarded
we didn’t have to believe in, act like, or agree with everything that others did in order to love
the church bus and headed to the meeting spot, only to find just one man waiting. “I’ll never
them. It’s ok to be different, but it’s not ok to hate.” The guy who tried to be everyone’s friend,
forget seeing Ron standing there in the rain with his umbrella, all alone in that parking lot. He
often going out of his way to make others smile and laugh, didn’t know what big plans God had
looked at us and asked, ‘You sent this big bus just for me?’ Jesus commands us to go and make
in store for his future. But the road to fulfilling God’s destiny wasn’t to be an easy one.
disciples, not to come and hear about other people who do it. We realized that morning that
Matt believes that Whosoever Community Church has always been a part of him, a pa