Last week's assassination of young political influencer and religious-liberty advocate Charlie Kirk is causing people around the world to reflect on their own influence and how they steward their religious freedom.
Charlie Kirk had an aura. As Seventh-day Adventists, we might dismiss any suggestion that human beings have an aura. We have strong counsel through Ellen G. White's prophetic gift to reject spiritualism—one of Satan's primary end-time deceptions, designed to lure people into rebellion against God.
Yet when Satan has his counterfeit, there's good reason to become familiar with the genuine. This principle guides us toward a deeper understanding of spiritual influence that is both biblical and practical.
The Biblical Understanding of Human Atmosphere
Ellen White wrote: "Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own—an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. Or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of cherished sin. By the atmosphere surrounding us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected" (Reflecting Christ, p. 262.3).
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an aura as "a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source"—a definition that aligns well with inspired counsel.
Distinguishing Truth from Counterfeit
We must distinguish between biblical truth and popular mystical ideas. The world's understanding of auras describes them as energy fields that can be manipulated through yoga and meditation. Much of what society believes about auras derives from Hinduism and Buddhism, where a person's aura connects to a "subtle body"—the spirit that lives on when the physical body dies.
These pagan ideas connect with Satan's foundational lie to Eve: "You shall not surely die."
In contrast, Sister White's statements offer a genuine description of the spiritual atmosphere surrounding each soul. Unlike pagan views which see the soul as separate from the body, the Bible tells us it was by the breath of God that "man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). The human being is a soul.
This biblical understanding finds validation in Scripture. When a person dwells in God's presence, this spiritual atmosphere can become visible, as demonstrated when Moses' face was radiant after meeting with God (Exodus 34:29-35), when Jesus' face "shone like the sun" during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), and when Stephen's face appeared "like the face of an angel" before his martyrdom (Acts 6:15).
The True Measure of Our Spiritual Influence
Attempts to photograph human auras through objective methods have failed. Sister White's commentary indicates that such attempts look in the wrong place. One's spiritual atmosphere becomes visible through expressions of "faith, courage, and hope" and the "fragrance of love"—or through manifestations of "discontent and selfishness" and the "taint of cherished sin."
The influence of our spiritual atmosphere is measured by our effect on people around us—more specifically, by who feels comfortable approaching us.
A Modern Example of Christlike Atmosphere
Charlie Kirk demonstrated this principle in an interview with young women working in the adult pornography industry. While he disapproved of sin, he emphasized the better life they could have in Jesus. One woman commented that while she didn't agree with him, she appreciated his respectful attitude as a marked difference from her experience with other Christians. Even in disagreement, his demeanor created an atmosphere where difficult conversations could happen without condemnation. This reflects the kind of spiritual influence Christ calls us to have.
Jesus' Magnetic Appeal to Outcasts
Consider Jesus' effect on people. Luke 15:1-2 presents Jesus attracting society's outcasts—people who were not comfortable around the Pharisees and scribes. To the disgust of men perceived as devoutly religious, "deplorable" tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him, and Jesus welcomed them.
What made society's rejected feel safe in His presence? His spiritual atmosphere radiated charitable love, hope, and acceptance. The marginalized sensed that He valued them when others saw only their failures. His presence communicated that redemption if offered to anyone who will accept it.
Breaking Out of Our Comfort Zones
Examine your own circle of friends and acquaintances. If you find yourself surrounded only by people who look, think, and believe as you do, it might reveal something about your spiritual atmosphere.
With good intentions not under divine influence, some people create an exclusive atmosphere that repels those who need God's love most. They gather in comfortable clusters with fellow church members, discussing doctrines while the broken-hearted wander outside our church family, sensing they wouldn't be welcome inside.
Doctrines are vital when use them in the context of selfless love to bring hope, comfort, and healing to a lost world. When these truths become talking points for debate rather than tools for ministry, we've missed their purpose.
When our social circles consist of established saints, we must ask: What value are we adding to the world? Are we reflecting Christ's character, or have we become modern Pharisees, broadcasting an atmosphere of self-righteous judgment and exclusivity?
The Call to Uncomfortable Ministry
Jesus made a point of mingling with people who needed what He had to give. In Luke 15:4-7, the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep and goes after the one who is lost. Since Jesus is our example, we need to refocus our time and effort toward those who have no one else to turn to.
This means stepping outside our comfortable Adventist bubble. It means befriending people who lack a loving connection to the body of Christ. These are today's "tax collectors and sinners"—many who may never enter our church doors but need to experience God's love through us.
Cultivating an Atmosphere of Grace
Our spiritual atmosphere connects to our relationship with the Holy Spirit. When we abide in Christ, we emanate the same qualities that drew outcasts to Jesus: desiring their good, sympathizing with their needs, and winning their trust, so we can invite them to follow Him.
This doesn't mean compromising biblical truth or enabling destructive behaviors. Rather, it means approaching broken people the way Jesus did—with a heart full of grace and genuine belief in their potential for transformation through God's gift of righteousness by faith in Jesus.
The Challenge Before Us
If our spiritual atmosphere only attracts people who already share our beliefs and lifestyle, we need to examine whether we're reflecting Christ's character. The test of our spiritual influence isn't only how comfortable other Adventists feel around us—it's also whether those who are hurting, lost, and rejected sense that we might be a safe harbor in their storm.
As we near the end of time, God is calling His people to be living demonstrations of His character. This means cultivating our personal relationship with Jesus to radiate an atmosphere so filled with divine love that even society's outcasts are drawn to the hope we carry. Only then will we fulfill our mission of taking the three angels' messages to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people—including those who may never respond to traditional evangelism but might be won by the attraction of Christlike love.
The world is watching. The lost are searching. Our spiritual atmosphere may be the very thing that draws them to Jesus or turns them away.
What does your aura say about you? The choice is yours.