Sharing Enhances Love

I recently was working on my romance novel, and I came to a chapter I thought worth sharing, if prematurely. The context of the below passage is as follows: a public speaker is addressing a crowd of teenagers on the importance of sharing their faith in order to deepen their love for and relationship with Christ. The language is contextualized to that audience, but here's what I developed for his sermon on the topic (again, this is the second draft WIP):

“...So, we pray for insight into the Bible, and we read the Bible, and we discuss with others what we see and find. Do you guys do that? If you don’t do it, do you want to? Do you want to share with others what Christ is teaching you and what he’s revealed to you in your personal study of Scriptures? If it’s true and beautiful, then why would you not? One of my favorite preachers, a pastor out of New York named Tim Keller, is quoted as having said, ‘The observer of beauty always receives a passion to share the beauty with others’. I love that quote, because it captures so concisely what I am trying to express to you guys. 
"Think with me for a second about this and you’ll get what I mean; think of a movie, song, book, whatever. If you find something you really like, you always want to share it, don’t you?  And don’t you find that when you share that song or book and see another enjoying it, you like it even more? When another person enjoys that same thing you do and sees the same truth and beauty in it, it makes the connection between you and that thing stronger as well as the connection between you and that person stronger. When you see their love for it in the same manner you love it, than that thing becomes more valuable and beautiful to you, doesn't it? The joke becomes more funny. Or the lyrics become more meaningful. The emotional moment of the film, that makes them cry when it made you cry, becomes more poignant. When you like something—you really enjoy that thing—you have to share it, and when you do and someone else sees in it what you see, it automatically becomes more beautiful to you. 
"Such it is with Christ. At least it should be. If you come to know him more and love him more, it should compel you to share him more. And, likely, Christ will lead you to share it with people who have had or are having similar experiences; and so together you both see more evidence of your own conviction. That's why we should share him more both in daily lives and dialog with community--to further honor and affirm his own work within the whole body. 
"So, what are the three ways we deepen our relationship with Christ? Prayer, or talk; Scripture, or words; and sharing our faith in community, or walk. Talk. Words. And Walk. Talk, words, walk.
So, now, we are going to do these very things and dive into Scripture together. ..."

What is so funny about my composing the above text, is that I've never actually considered it until prepping the sermon series that the speaker was giving throughout the book, but it became so obvious I was almost embarrassed. The Keller quote I believe actually comes from a sermon (though I pulled it from Twitter), and it's a sentiment that is necessary for us to not only recall but institute in our daily lives with others. 

I am big into sharing art. I love sharing art, and finally, I am at a point in my spiritual walk wherein I love to share my faith--it's what this blog is for after all (that, and some self-indulgence, from time-to-time, if I'm being honest). I hope you all are at this place of comfort in sharing also, or nearing it, for it is a wonderful place in which to find oneself. The practice of sharing your growth enchances and deepens relationships with fellow believers, making you not only friends or earthly family but making in you true, spiritual kin; as you can both see the love and grace of your spiritual father more clearly evidenced in the lives around you. And with non-believers, this sharing, when done in gentleness and respect, can be a valuable testimony, an assurance of your faith's reality beyond a series of tenants but rather a testament to your daily reality as a servant and lover of Christ Jesus. 

Thanks for reading, and please share (not necessarily this post but your faith)!

C