"Back from vacation" - or - "Evangelism Rant"
Yup. I'm back in Pullman. It was a nice break, but it wasn't long enough. Most of my colleagues are dragging their feet. I am too. I can't wait for the semester to pick up... it's easier to dive in to work when you've already been working on other things.
Once I get my digital camera software installed, I'll try to post some pictures. In the meantime, I have to get a problem with my memory card fixed.
I touched base with my advisor today and wound up discussing religion for about two hours. My folks have been concerned that she would be offended if she learned my religious persuasion, and that it might have a negative impact on my work. She thought that was kind of funny, and assured me that would not be the case. We talked for a while about faith and its place in teaching and research, and it was a really great (and reassuring) conversation. The only thing I think that could be a problem is the fact that we both like to talk about a lot of the same things, and as a result we often get sidetracked in our meetings.
Talking with her reminded me of the importance of knowing your audience when presenting your faith. Just wearing it on a T-shirt or blindly shoving it down everyone's throat is both foolish and irresponsible. But really listening to the people you talk to, paying attention to where they come from, tuning in to how sensitive they are about religious topics, knowing something about them... that's what I call wise, responsible evangelism. Sometimes it may take me years to present the gospel to someone... years in which I pray for them, listen to them, offer them advice, and really get involved with their lives. During that time, I carefully pray for the opportunity to talk to them about Jesus, and when the chance arises or the time is right, I go for it. But I'm patient about it. Methodical. Unobtrusive. I've learned a lot of lessons from doing it the wrong way (and man, have I ever done it the wrong way before!). The most important lesson was that the people you share with are not targets. They're people. People who I'm supposed to love and share the greatest news I have ever heard with them. What they do with that news is between them and God. I don't pressure them. I don't coerce them. And if they reject it, I don't cut contact. I keep loving them. Why? Is it because that's what I'm supposed to do? Because it's my job? Nope... it's my priviledge... And my pleasure.
The two greatest commandments are for us to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, and all of our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I heard someone say in Church this past Sunday that the only way to experience the true love of the Church (note that I said Church here and not God) is to become a Christian.
I believe this to be patently false.
Yes, believers are supposed to be recognized in the world by the way we love one another.
But it is that love that we are supposed to share with the dying world. It is that love that is given to us by the Lord to share with our neighbor, be he or she a believer or not. And it is that love of which it is said that we are supposed to allow others to "taste and see" so that they may know "the Lord is good."
But how can they know unless they have never tasted? And how can they taste if we have never shared?
Once I get my digital camera software installed, I'll try to post some pictures. In the meantime, I have to get a problem with my memory card fixed.
I touched base with my advisor today and wound up discussing religion for about two hours. My folks have been concerned that she would be offended if she learned my religious persuasion, and that it might have a negative impact on my work. She thought that was kind of funny, and assured me that would not be the case. We talked for a while about faith and its place in teaching and research, and it was a really great (and reassuring) conversation. The only thing I think that could be a problem is the fact that we both like to talk about a lot of the same things, and as a result we often get sidetracked in our meetings.
Talking with her reminded me of the importance of knowing your audience when presenting your faith. Just wearing it on a T-shirt or blindly shoving it down everyone's throat is both foolish and irresponsible. But really listening to the people you talk to, paying attention to where they come from, tuning in to how sensitive they are about religious topics, knowing something about them... that's what I call wise, responsible evangelism. Sometimes it may take me years to present the gospel to someone... years in which I pray for them, listen to them, offer them advice, and really get involved with their lives. During that time, I carefully pray for the opportunity to talk to them about Jesus, and when the chance arises or the time is right, I go for it. But I'm patient about it. Methodical. Unobtrusive. I've learned a lot of lessons from doing it the wrong way (and man, have I ever done it the wrong way before!). The most important lesson was that the people you share with are not targets. They're people. People who I'm supposed to love and share the greatest news I have ever heard with them. What they do with that news is between them and God. I don't pressure them. I don't coerce them. And if they reject it, I don't cut contact. I keep loving them. Why? Is it because that's what I'm supposed to do? Because it's my job? Nope... it's my priviledge... And my pleasure.
The two greatest commandments are for us to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, and all of our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I heard someone say in Church this past Sunday that the only way to experience the true love of the Church (note that I said Church here and not God) is to become a Christian.
I believe this to be patently false.
Yes, believers are supposed to be recognized in the world by the way we love one another.
But it is that love that we are supposed to share with the dying world. It is that love that is given to us by the Lord to share with our neighbor, be he or she a believer or not. And it is that love of which it is said that we are supposed to allow others to "taste and see" so that they may know "the Lord is good."
But how can they know unless they have never tasted? And how can they taste if we have never shared?
posted by Raoul The Destroyer at 1:42 PM
1 Comments:
So true! someone told me they call this approach to evangelism "relational eveangelism." I do believe it is the best kind. It's the way Jesus himself went about it. He of course did lots of preaching, but it was his personal relationship with the twelve and with the apostle Paul that empowered them to go into the world. Good Lord, Christianity is itself a personal relationship with Him!
But I have to defend my t-shirt, bro. ok. I don't own one, but I love it when people do. it's an expression of who they are... of what they like, of what they believe in. I'd like to defend all of them Jesus Paraphernalia lovers :) !!
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