The GOAT influencer.
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People love to debate and discuss who the greatest of all time (GOAT) was in just about every field from athletics to academics. With the rise of social media over the past two decades, we’ve seen the development of a new profession known as social media influencer; people who garner, often millions of followers, and then use their position to influence purchasing and politics.
But influencing isn’t a modern idea. There have been influencers in every generation. Technology may have made influencing others easier in some ways, but it certainly isn’t something new. Martin Luther King Jr. influenced one of the greatest movements in American history and Martin Luther influenced one of the greatest religious movements in European history.
But who is the greatest influencer of all time? If you search the internet you’ll find plenty of compiled lists that contain many of the great thinkers, scientists and philosophers throughout history.
I knew of a man, who when asked who he felt was the greatest historical figure of all time during his interview for admission for graduate studies at a prestigious university, responded with Jesus Christ.
It is very difficult to argue that Jesus Christ has not had the greatest influence on humankind. Although modern academics have tried to scrub his name from the language of academic literature, we still date everything before or after the birth of Jesus Christ. Call it before the common era (BCE) if you please, but this doesn’t undo why zero on the dateline is where it is.
But Jesus’ influence far surpasses a dating system. Billions of people have followed his teachings and have lifted, loved, and served others because of their belief in the man known as Jesus.
Unmeasurable sums of money have been used to construct buildings and provide relief to the poor and needy, all in the name and pursuit of finding, loving and serving Jesus Christ.
But perhaps the greatest influence of Jesus Christ is the one that happens at the individual level. When we spend time with Jesus we become like him. We become more tolerant, loving and brave. We find relief, healing and hope.
This influence has been experienced, and continues to be experienced by countless numbers of people who have and continue to believe and follow Jesus Christ and live his teachings.
No social media, political or secular influencer can offer us what Jesus Christ can. That’s why I choose to follow him by learning and applying his teachings. His influence has led me to greater peace and purpose. I have concluded that Jesus is the greatest of all time… and eternity.
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